Foreign Minister of Georgia Ilia Darchiashvili meets with Foreign Minister of Poland Zbigniew Rau
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, April 28, 2023
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili, held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Zbigniew Rau. Following the meeting, they issued a joint statement to the media.
During their meeting Geotgian MFA Minister and his Polish counterpart Rau discussed the crucial matter of Georgia being granted candidate status for EU membership. Darchiashvili emphasized the significance of this status for his country.
According to Darchiashvili's statement at the joint briefing, he informed his Rau about Georgia's progress in meeting the 12 priorities necessary for EU membership.
"This is one of our main concerns, and during our cooperation discussions, we emphasized the need to further support and mobilize our friends towards this goal. I also had the opportunity to share with Minister Rau the progress Georgia has made in meeting the 12 priorities and the reforms that have been implemented.
We have already implemented most of the recommendations and are continuing to actively work towards meeting these priorities. Our ultimate goal is for Georgia to obtain the candidate status, which is of great significance to us, by the end of this year.
During my conversation with my colleague, I stressed that apart from meeting the specific conditions for joining the European Union, we are also committed to pursuing a comprehensive political, economic, and sectoral integration with the EU. This involves working towards institutional and legislative convergence, and we will continue to actively engage in this direction in the future.
We will be in active communication throughout the day, and I look forward to discussing with Minister Rau the critical issue of Europe's energy security. I will also highlight Georgia's specific contribution to this matter and share with him the vital role our region, and Georgia in particular, plays in this direction today," said Darchiashvili.
Based on the minister's statement, he and his Polish counterpart also discussed the issue of the occupation of Georgian territories and the challenges that the country is currently facing. Additionally, they talked about the unwavering support of Poland towards Georgia in this regard.
Darchiashvili expressed his deep appreciation for Poland's consistent support for Georgia in matters related to territorial integrity and sovereignty, which he considers to be one of the most critical issues in the country's foreign policy. He expressed gratitude for Poland's unwavering stance in supporting Georgia in this direction.
Rau stated that Poland has consistently and unequivocally supported the Georgian society's aspirations for independence, freedom, and peace, as well as their sovereign right to choose a development model, alliance, and integrative institution.
"Poland has always unequivocally supported the aspiration of Georgian society to have independence, freedom and peace, as well as the sovereign right to choose a development model, alliance and integrative institution,"
"Thank you very much. I would like to express my gratitude to Minister Ilia Darchiashvili for inviting me on a working visit to Georgia and for the warm hospitality that the Georgian people are famous for. Georgia and its society have always had a special place in the hearts of Polish people, as we share a deep history of struggle for independence and resistance against Russian imperialism. Today, Ukraine is facing similar challenges, as Georgia did in 2008, and Poland stands in solidarity with both countries.
Poland has always unequivocally supported the aspiration of Georgian society to have independence, freedom, and peace, as well as the sovereign right to choose a development model, alliance, and integration institution," Rau stated.
