Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili Says Brussels Visits Focused on Georgia's Ongoing Reforms Toward EU Standards Alignment
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Foreign Affairs Minister Ilia Darchiashvili has concluded his working visit to Brussels, where he engaged in a series of meetings and discussions. Minister Darchiashvili met with six European Commissioners and other high-ranking officials of the European Union, including a meeting with European Commissioner for Enlargement Policy and Neighborhood Affairs, Oliver Varhelyi.
As part of his visit, the Foreign Affairs Minister also conducted meetings at the European Union's General Directorate for Enlargement and Neighborhood Affairs, as well as at the office of the President of the European Council. Additionally, Minister Darchiashvili had discussions with the permanent representatives of EU member states.
After his visit, the Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that one of the central topics discussed during the meetings held as part of his visit was Georgia's progress in implementing the 12 recommendations.
Darchiashvili provided an assessment of his trip to Brussels, underscoring the concrete and tangible achievements that Georgia has made in addressing the priorities outlined by the European Commission. Throughout his discussions with the European Commissioners, the primary emphasis remained on Georgia's continuous reform initiatives aimed at aligning with EU standards.
"Recently, Joseph Borrell, the European Union's High Representative, paid an official visit to Georgia. We had highly productive meetings, discussing the specific priorities defined by the European Union for Georgia and the steps Georgia has taken in this regard. Furthermore, I am currently on a working visit to Brussels, where I have engaged in meetings with several commissioners. During these discussions, we focused on key issues and explored ways to further mobilize commissioner support in our direction.
I had an interesting meeting with Mr. Varhelyi. We discussed the latest developments in our country regarding the fulfillment of the 12 priorities before the October report. We also addressed the issues forwarded to the Venice Commission, which hold great significance for Brussels, and highlighted the concrete and tangible results that Georgia has recently achieved in this regard.
I once again confirmed to the European Commissioners that the reform agenda remains our top priority. We are committed to continuing our active efforts in this direction to ultimately achieve final membership for our country. This path is challenging but immensely important for us," said Darchiashvili.
