British Ambassador Mark Clayton Reaffirms UK's Support for Georgia's Euro-Atlantic Aspiration
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
During his address at the official birthday celebration of King Charles III, the British Ambassador to Georgia, Mark Clayton, expressed the United Kingdom's unwavering support for Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspiration. He reiterated the statement made by the UK Foreign Minister in March, emphasizing that the United Kingdom remains a steadfast friend of Georgia and will continue to do so.
Mark Clayton highlighted that the previous year has been of great significance for the relations between the United Kingdom and Georgia.
"This year, we had the honor of hosting the Minister of Foreign Affairs Darchiashvili in London for the annual strategic talks, the Wardrop Dialogue. Our Foreign Minister James Cleverley paid a return visit to Georgia in March, which was the first visit of a UK Foreign Secretary to the country since 2016. These visits are important and allow for in-depth dialogue with the Prime Minister and ministers on important issues. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our relationship with Georgia. From defense cooperation to cyber security, a lot is going on, and there will be much more to come. Tomorrow morning, we will discuss these matters based on the work of the British Council, which supports the study of English in Georgian schools," the ambassador said.
He also emphasized the involvement of the British Armed Forces contingent in the planned exercises in Georgia.
"Later this year, the largest contingent of the British Armed Forces will participate in planned exercises in Georgia. We will continue working with parliament, the government, civil society organizations, human rights defenders, the LGBTQ community, and others. Additionally, we will collaborate with the media to combat misinformation and interference in Georgia's democracy. We fully support Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspiration. As our Foreign Minister stated in March, the United Kingdom is a steadfast friend of Georgia and will remain so," said the British ambassador to Georgia.
During his speech, Ambassador Mark Clayton also addressed the ongoing war in Ukraine and emphasized that the United Kingdom, along with its partners, will continue to stand by Ukraine for as long as necessary. He acknowledged the significance of the past year for Ukraine, highlighting Russia's aggressive and unprovoked war against the country, which has persisted for two years. The ambassador expressed pride in his country's role in supporting Ukraine's efforts to uphold the shared values of the UN Charter. He further mentioned that supporting Ukraine in its struggle is a priority of the UK's foreign policy, as stated by their Foreign Secretary. Together with their allies, the United Kingdom is committed to supporting Ukraine.
Clayton, while speaking to reporters, expressed that they have been closely following the case of Nika Gvaramia for the past year and affirmed their commitment to closely monitoring the case moving forward. Ambassador Clayton emphasized that the United Kingdom strongly supports a free and robust media as a fundamental element of democracy. Regarding the 12 recommendations, he mentioned that they are closely monitoring the progress concerning the candidate's status.
"When it comes to the 12 priorities, the UK is in a different position as we are no longer a member of the EU, although we support Georgia's EU and NATO membership for a number of key reasons. Polls show that the Georgian people want to join the European Union, and all major political parties also express their support for Georgia joining the European Union. This is a very important democratic fact. Therefore, we are closely monitoring the progress regarding the candidate's status. It is not my role to comment on the trial, although we are following the proceedings. The UK strongly supports free and robust media as it is a fundamental element of democracy. Therefore, we strongly support the right of all of you to do what you do," stated Clayton.
