German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock meets with Salome Zourabichvili and Ilia Darchiashvili
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, March 27, 2023
The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, met with the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Annalena Baerbock within the framework of Baerbock's official visit to Georgia and discussed the issues related to the European integration process of Georgia.
As the President of Georgia stated at the meeting held in the Orbeliani palace, the population of Georgia will not accept a second refusal regarding the status of a candidate for the European Union and will consider itself abandoned by Europe in such a difficult situation.
The President emphasized the importance of Foreign Affairs Minister's visit as, according to her, it is an expression of Germany's continued support for Georgia's independence and European integration.
"During my last visit to the USA, I had a telephone conversation with the President of Germany, who confirmed to me the unwavering support of Georgia, and your presence here is a clear confirmation of this," the President of Georgia addressed to the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany.
On the other hand, Annalena Baerbock said that she is in Georgia because she wants to see Georgia and its population in the European Union:
"That is why I am here and this is what my government supports. Georgia needs to continue the reforms in order to get the status of a candidate," said Berbok.
Within the framework of her official visit to Georgia, Annalena Baerbock also held a joint press conference with Georgia's Foreign Minister, Ilia Darchiashvili.
Baerbock focused on completing all 12 recommendations and noted that the Georgian government cannot become a member of the European Union, without the civil society and on the contrary, civil society cannot become a member of the European Union without the Georgian government.
"We are very happy that we have made significant progress, especially in terms of the implementation of the 12 priorities and also in terms of the follow-up process. There are 12 priorities to gain candidate status. This is the most important task for all of us. We talked about it in detail and naturally, joint work is necessary. In the process of joining, it is necessary to uphold the rule of law and implement democratic standards. Listening is also an integral part of democracy. Even when opinions are radically different from each other, including in society. Therefore, after the withdrawal of the 'Foreign Agents' bill, the task of politics is now to overcome polarization, restore trust and implement reforms with full conviction. It is necessary to carry out reforms in this country so that Georgia can enter the European Union," said Baerbock.
According to her, Georgia's accession to the European Union is only possible jointly, because this is the driving force of the European Union, as in Baerbock words, the European Union is characterized by very different members. According to her it's not a weakness but a strength.
"That is why the unofficial motto of the European Union is 'Unity in Plurality'. We want to implement this together with Georgia in the future. Therefore, it is necessary not to waste any more time. This is a moment in history from which we must not back down. It is important to continue this process on the basis of our close relations and cooperate more closely," said Baerbock.
