Statement of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Maka Botchorishvili following her meeting with the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Juraj Blanár

I am delighted to be in Bratislava on my first bilateral visit in the capacity of Minister for Foreign Affairs. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleague, Minister Juraj Blanár, for his kind  invitation and warm hospitality. I sincerely appreciate the open and friendly atmosphere that has characterized our meeting today.

I would like to underscore that the close relations and steadily deepening partnership between Georgia and Slovakia are firmly rooted in mutual respect and in the enduring traditions of people-to-people engagement between our nations.  Slovakia has long been, and continues to remain, a reliable partner of Georgia.

The governments of Georgia and Slovakia are fully aware of the importance of safeguarding sovereignty. The commitment to upholding our countries’ sovereignty constitutes a shared priority that further unites us. We frequently hear criticism regarding our sovereign decisions; however, we remain convinced that the only true guarantee of our security and prosperity lies in the protection of our sovereignty.  Accordingly, I believe it is of decisive importance that states sharing this approach stand together in solidarity.

Georgia is a country to which history has imparted a profound understanding of the true value of peace. In a context where our country is not covered by NATO’s security umbrella and where threats are growing, our government spares no effort to preserve peace and ensure the conditions for stable national development. Our efforts are entirely directed toward the protection of peace, and we support any measures aimed at advancing it. The pursuit of peace is what unites us today with the government of Slovakia. Our meeting today is itself a demonstration of this shared commitment.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for Slovakia’s steadfast support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

I am pleased that today we had the opportunity, together with the Minister, to examine in detail the avenues for deepening our cooperation. We discussed the prospects for strengthening bilateral relations. In this context, we focused on the dynamics of political dialogue and the importance of conducting high-level visits. In the near future, visits by the President and the Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia to Slovakia are planned, and we also look forward to welcoming high-level guests to Georgia.

We additionally discussed the need to deepen trade, economic and sectoral cooperation. The broad potential that exists between our two countries should be fully harnessed. In this regard, fostering connections between the business communities is of great importance.

The economic cooperation agreement signed last October is a welcome development, providing fresh momentum to our economic relations and supporting the growth of connections between the respective business sectors. Cooperation in the field of tourism also merits special attention.

Direct air flights between our countries have been established, which will promote the further development of tourism and create additional opportunities in our bilateral relations.

I would also like to express our gratitude to Slovakia for its support of Georgia’s European integration process. We observe attempts by Brussels to use Georgia’s European integration process as a political instrument. This approach significantly damages the relations between Georgia and the European Union, with repercussions that extend to its member states.

Slovakia rightly does not share this approach, which we sincerely appreciate.

Once again, I would like to thank you for your support, as this is precisely how genuine backing for Georgia’s and the Georgian people’s European aspirations can be expressed. In a period full of challenges, cooperation and mutual support with our partners hold particular significance for us.

Once again, thank you, Mr. Minister, for your hospitality, friendship and support. I hope that we will soon have the opportunity to meet in Georgia and continue our dialogue.