Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's Inaugural Official Visit to Brussels
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
According to the press service, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze is scheduled to participate in the 8th session of the Georgia-EU Association Council. Following this, he will join Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Olivér Várhelyi, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, for a joint press conference.
During his visit, Kobakhidze will also meet with Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, and participate in the meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission.
Kobakhidze is accompanied by a government delegation, including Levan Davitashvili, the First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development; Irakli Chikovani, the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Defense; Ilia Darchiashvili, the Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Thea Akhvlediani, the Minister of State for Reconciliation and Civil Equality.
Georgia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Darchiashvili, emphasized the Prime Minister's starting point for foreign visits in Brussels as crucial. Darchiashvili highlighted two main objectives: Georgia's integration into the European Union and the Prime Minister's leadership in the Association Council, a vital bilateral platform.
"It is the first time that a country with the status of a candidate country continues to cooperate with the European Union in this format, and it is a very important message from the Prime Minister that he came to Brussels to hold the Association Council," said Darchiashvili.
According to Foreign Minister, the meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission, which is also very important, will also be held.
"Also, we will have a NATO-Georgia commission, which is our second main foreign policy priority. Therefore, this is also the main platform for our bilateral cooperation and integration of Georgia in the Euro-Atlantic space. Here too, it is very important that the prime minister leads the commission. I think, in general, this first visit to Brussels will start a very important process. A new impetus will come to strengthen and accelerate our foreign priorities. Therefore, it is important that tomorrow the Prime Minister will start this very important visit and important for the foreign political priorities of our country," said Darchiashvili.
