Prime Minister pays visit to Latvia
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, January 12
Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili stated that Georgia will do everything it can to positively resolve the visa liberalization issue. He made the statement at a meeting with the European Union's (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini at January 9 amid the international conference ‘European Year of Development’ in Riga, Latvia. Georgia was the only country represented from Eastern Europe at the conference.
Mogherini expressed hope that Georgia would become a "successful example” at the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit, due to be held in Riga on May 21-22.
In response, Garibashvili informed Mogherini that Russia planned to sign an 'Alliance and Integration’ treaty with Georgia's breakaway region of Tskhinvali and stressed that Georgia’s support from its allies and condemning the fact was essential in this regard.
In the frame of the visit, Gharibashvili met with Latvian high officials, including the Prime Minister and President of the country.
On a meeting with his Latvian counterpart Laimdota Straujuma, Prime Minister Garibashvili discussed the prospects of bilateral cooperation between Latvia and Georgia in the fields of economy, higher education and defence.
Most of the meeting was dedicated to discussing threats facing Georgia’s territorial integrity. Straujuma once again confirmed her support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.
The Prime Minister also met with the Chairman of the Latvian Saeima, Inara Murniece. At the meeting they stressed the importance of inter-parliamentary friendship groups.
The sides also emphasized that the visit of Georgian Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili to Riga, planned to be held in 2015, would contribute to the cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries.
The PM emphasized that today Georgia is in another world compared to that of two decades ago and in this development, the European Union has a big share via its assistance in economic and social development, enhancing educational and cultural cooperation, strengthening the judiciary, as well as human rights.
Georgia’s Prime Minister stressed that the Government of Georgia is undertaking a series of reforms to ensure a strong basis for inclusive growth.
"We recently adopted a National Social Economic Development Strategy, which sets out clear priorities for achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth ahead of 2020, he said.
He also emphasized that Georgia was among the first countries to adhere to the values of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) by joining the initiative in 2011.
