Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili Meets With Hungarian Counterpart Péter Szijjártó
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
During his working visit to Hungary, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ilia Darchiashvili met with his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó. At a joint press conference with Georgian Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjártó emphasized that the issue of Georgia's candidate status is a matter of political significance.
He urged the European Union to make a political commitment regarding this decision, which is expected to be reached in the autumn. Szijjártó highlighted that Georgia is deserving of candidate status.
"We highly value our cooperation with the Caucasus region, demonstrated by the upcoming joint summit scheduled for October 11-12 in Tbilisi, bringing together members of the Georgian and Hungarian governments.
During this summit, we will sign essential agreements, including an investment program and an extension of our scholarship program.
Additionally, our discussions also focused on Georgia's aspiration to attain EU candidate status. We believe Georgia should receive candidate status in the autumn. Georgia did everything for it. The decision on Georgia's candidate status is a political issue, and we demand this political commitment from the EU this autumn," Szijjártó said.
During a joint press conference, Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili conveyed his gratitude for Hungary's proactive support and the personal dedication of Péter Szijjártó.
Darchiashvili underscored Georgia's unwavering dedication to its European aspirations, emphasizing that the country's desire to become a part of Europe is stronger than ever. He also highlighted Georgia's determination to fulfill the necessary obligations for EU membership.
"We are acutely aware that joining the European Union entails enduring obligations and responsibilities, constituting a long but results-oriented process. Georgia has demonstrated unwavering determination to fulfill these commitments and secure EU membership.
Consequently, we firmly believe that Georgia deserves candidate status, enabling its progression to subsequent membership stages. We hold strong convictions that the leaders of EU member states will make yet another historic decision this year by granting Georgia candidate status.
Furthermore, we also hope that a decision will be made, in conjunction with Ukraine and Moldova, to commence negotiations on Georgia's accession to the European Union. These decisions determine our country's connection with the European Union, and we trust that Hungary will continue to stand by Georgia on this journey," Darchiashvili stated.
