Ilia Darchiashvili on Ararat Mirzoyan’s visit to Georgia: "I am confident that today's visit will provide fresh momentum to our cooperation across various fields"
"I am confident that today's visit will provide fresh momentum to our cooperation across various fields," stated Ilia Darchiashvili, the Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the joint press conference held on 3 July 2024, in Tbilisi, following his meeting with his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan.
Darchiashvili highlighted the enduring friendship and neighborly relations between Georgia and Armenia, which span centuries. The discussion also covered cooperation in multilateral formats. "At today's meeting, I reiterated my gratitude to my colleague for Armenia's historic support of the UN resolution affirming the right of return for all internally displaced persons and refugees to Abkhazia and Tskhinvali," Darchiashvili noted, emphasizing the mutual respect and support for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The meeting also acknowledged Armenia's significant role as one of Georgia's top ten trade partners and top three tourism partners. The parties reviewed regional developments and underscored the importance of maintaining peace. "We discussed ongoing regional processes, existing challenges, and opportunities. We emphasized the importance of our joint efforts in addressing these challenges. Georgia remains committed to stability and peaceful coexistence in the South Caucasus. We are ready to continue contributing to constructive dialogue and ensuring regional stability and peace, within the needs of our neighbors and our capabilities," Darchiashvili stated.
He welcomed the historic, peaceful decision between Armenia and Azerbaijan to initiate the state border delimitation process. "I hope the peace agreement process between Armenia and Azerbaijan will continue to progress positively," he added.
Additionally, Darchiashvili welcomed the success of the Georgian national football team: "Your visit coincides with a proud moment for Georgia. Our national football team achieved historic results at the European Championship, with enthusiastic support from our Armenian brothers. We deeply appreciate your support. Recently, the football federations of Georgia and Armenia submitted a joint bid to host the U-20 World Cup. I hope our countries will succeed in this endeavor as well."
