Belarus Embassy opens in Georgia
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, December 22
The Embassy of Belarus started officially functioning in Georgia today to enhance bilateral ties between the two countries.
The opening of the embassy took place in Tbilisi on December 20 after the first official visit of the Foreign Minister of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, to Georgia.
The ceremony was attended by Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janleidze, who stated at the event that the relationship between Georgia and Belarus would deepen in the future.
“Bilateral ties between our countries are deepening, and the opening of the Belarus embassy in Tbilisi will give additional impulses to the process,” he said while delivering a speech.
Janelidze congratulated the first ambassador of Belarus to Georgia, Mikhail Miatlikov, and wished him success in his work.
The opening of Belarus’ official representation to Georgia was first announced when the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, visited Georgia in 2015.
Before opening the embassy, Janelidze and Makei had a meeting and discussed a broad spectrum of political, trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian issues between Georgia and Belarus, emphasizing the importance of regularly holding political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries. The necessity of deepening co-operation in the Eastern Partnership format was also highlighted.
Janelidze, said that talks were underway with Belarus to develop trade and economic relations in order to increase bilateral trade as well as the participation of Belarusian enterprises in the Georgian economy.
The Georgian Foreign Minister provided his Belarus colleague with information regarding the situation in Georgia’s occupied territories emphasizing the need to resolve the conflict peacefully, through the involvement of the international community.
Vladimir Makei reaffirmed the Belarusian Government’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also visited the village of Khurvaleti vnear the occupation line, separating the breakaway Tskhinvali region from the rest of Georgia.
