Bilateral consultations held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and Italy
On 5 April 2023, another round of bilateral political consultations between the foreign ministries of Georgia and Italy was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Georgian delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Teimuraz Janjalia, and the Italian delegation - by the First Deputy Minister, Edmondo Cirelli.
During the meeting, the deputy ministers expressed satisfaction with the close and friendly ties established between the two countries. Special emphasis was put on the readiness to raise bilateral relations between Georgia and Italy to a higher level.
The sides discussed the agenda of high-level visits, outlined future plans and expressed their commitment towards further intensification of cooperation. During the consultations, the sides reviewed the areas of trade, economy and tourism, discussed the prospects for deepening cooperation and agreed that more efforts are needed to fully utilize the existing economic potential. Special attention was focused on defence cooperation between Italy and Georgia and on the importance of Italy's support for strengthening Georgia's defence and security capabilities. In addition, the sides noted with satisfaction the fruitful cooperation in the field of education and culture.
Discussions focused on the issue of Georgia's EU integration, as well as on the progress made by Georgia in the process of fulfilling the European Commission’s 12 recommendations that is an essential prerequisite to granting Georgia a candidate status.
Teimuraz Janjalia emphasized the need for the European Union’s and partner states’ strong support at this important moment for Georgia. Edmondo Cirelli said that for Italy Georgia is a part of Europe and confirmed that his country will continue to stand by Georgia on the way to EU integration. Special attention was also paid to the process of Georgia's integration into NATO. The Georgian side reaffirmed its expectations regarding the Vilnius summit. Talking points included the difficult security environment in the region, in light of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine.
Within the framework of the political consultations, the Georgian delegation provided its Italian colleagues with detailed information on the difficult human rights and humanitarianism situation in the occupied regions. The Italian side once again confirmed its firm and unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia. During the consultations, the sides also discussed issues of cooperation within international organizations and noted with satisfaction the successful experience in this regard. At the end of the meeting, the deputy ministers agreed to continue close cooperation and expressed readiness to hold the next round of bilateral consultations between the foreign ministries in Rome, in the near future.