Ilia Darchiashvili meets the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions of the Kingdom of Belgium

On 23 August 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Darchiashvili, held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions of the Kingdom of Belgium, Hadja Lahbib, who arrived in Tbilisi for an official visit.

At the meeting, the sides focused on the close cooperation and friendly relations between the two countries.

Hadja Lahbib reaffirmed Belgium’s firm support for Georgia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, as well as for the country's European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Ilia Darchiashvili provided his colleague with comprehensive information on the steps Georgia is taking to implement the European Commission’s recommendations and expressed the hope that Georgia's progress and reforms implemented in various directions will be duly recognized and reflected in the decision to grant the country a candidate status. The sides noted the importance of the support of Belgium, as the next EU presidency, for Georgia's European integration path.

Discussions also focused on the ongoing developments in the region and the challenges created by the war in Ukraine.

Ilia Darchiashvili spoke about the difficult security, human rights and humanitarian situation in the occupied territories of Georgia. The sides emphasized the importance of the partners’ consolidated position for maintaining the issue of Georgia high on the international agenda.

Speaking about bilateral relations, special attention was focused on the need to further strengthen political, economic and cultural relations.

It was noted that the Belgian cultural festival "Europalia 2023" will be dedicated to Georgia and Georgian culture, which is another proof of the successful cooperation between the two countries.