The Vice Prime Minister of Georgia participates in the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Riga
On 1 December 2021, the Vice Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Georgia, David Zalkaliani participated in the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs where the Foreign Ministers of Georgia and Ukraine - NATO aspirants - were invited.
During the Ministerial Meeting, the Secretary General of NATO and the Foreign Ministers of the Member states reaffirmed their support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Highlighting that Georgia is a close partner of NATO, they underlined its contribution to global security, including NATO-led operations and missions.
It was reiterated that NATO remains committed to the decision taken at the Bucharest Summit and expresses its readiness to continue its political and practical support.
Among the issues discussed at the Ministerial Meeting was the Black Sea security. In this context, special attention was paid to the Alliance’s cooperation with the partner countries, the strengthening of their integration mechanisms and further support.
The Riga Ministerial Meeting adopted a special report on aspirant countries, which reflects the progress made by aspirant countries on the path to NATO integration, as well as specific mechanisms and new directions for assisting the aspirants on the path to membership.
The Ministerial Meeting takes on a special importance prior to the Alliance's 2022 summit, where a new strategic concept for NATO is to be approved. Within the framework of the Ministerial Meeting, Georgia had the opportunity to voice its expectations regarding the 2022 summit.
Georgia is actively involved in the process of developing NATO's 2030 strategic vision, so that important issues for Georgia are fully reflected in this strategy, which sets out the priorities for NATO for the next 10 years.
It should be noted that during the preparations for the Ministerial Meeting, Georgia developed and presented to the Alliance its visions for the country's integration into NATO, in terms of strengthening both practical and political support, including reforms, as well as enhancing the country's defense capabilities and resilience.
Georgia's participation in in the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs indicates that the Alliance places high priority on the region's security and emphasizes our country’s special role in ensuring global and regional security.
MFA Georgia
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MEETING WITH THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF CYPRUS
On October 23, 2023, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting “Central Asia - European Union,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R.Meredov held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus Constantinos Kombos.
During the discussions, the ministers emphasized the relevance of developing political and diplomatic interaction. In particular, the expediency of parallel accreditation of ambassadors in both countries was noted. In addition, the heads of foreign ministries discussed issues of cooperation on the platforms of international organizations as a tool for strengthening interstate relations.
The need to create an appropriate legal framework was emphasized. In this context, the parties expressed mutual interest in developing a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and Cyprus.
The ministers also noted the potential for the development of trade and economic interaction. In this regard, it was proposed to hold consultations on the exchange of business delegations and the identification of specific areas of trade and economic cooperation.
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As part of the ministerial meeting Central Asia-EU, held in Luxembourg on October 23, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R.Meredov held bilateral negotiations with the European Union Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen.
The main focus was on regional initiatives of the Team Europe program. These discussions created the basis for an in-depth dialogue on the possibility of cooperation in the fields of energy and transport. Turkmenistan's progress in the process of joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) was also presented. The head of the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan noted that the Turkmen side highly appreciates the EU’s support in this direction.
J.Urpilainen emphasized the readiness to provide technical assistance, taking into account Turkmenistan’s desire for WTO membership and the reforms being carried out in this regard.
The main discussion during the meeting concerned the energy sector, in particular hydrogen energy, reducing methane emissions and converting natural gas. The Foreign Minister gave examples of joint projects between Turkmenistan and «GIZ» in the field of hydrogen and methane research.
The parties emphasized the need for a systematic approach to energy projects and emphasized the importance of jointly developing an Action Plan for cooperation in this area.
R.Meredov also informed the European Commissioner about the development of a Road Map for 2023-2024, aimed at developing international cooperation and studying the issue of Turkmenistan joining the Global Methane Commitment.
J.Urpilainen noted that the European Union is considering the possibility of concluding an agreement with the GIZ project in the field of green energy, which is aimed at developing initiatives in this area.
In the context of the ongoing work to create a specialized mechanism for coordinating the activities and initiatives of the Team Europe project, the head of the European structure invited Turkmenistan to actively interact with the EU within the framework of this new mechanism.
Opportunities for cooperation in the field of digital communications and water management were also discussed, given the relevance of the latter issue for the region. The EU Commissioner highly appreciated the effectiveness of the Team Europe program in the field of digital integration and confirmed the readiness to intensify cooperation with Turkmenistan in this direction.
During the meeting, J.Urpilainen conveyed an invitation to the Turkmen delegation to the Investor Forum, which will be held in Brussels in January 2024.
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On October 22-23, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov has been staying on a working visit to Luxembourg to participate in the 19th ministerial meeting “Central Asia - European Union”.
The event is attended by the foreign ministers of the countries of Central Asia and the European Union in the “5+27” format. The purpose of the meeting is to outline plans for the development of regional cooperation, as well as exchange views on current issues on the global and regional agenda.
In the framework of the working visit of the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, a number of bilateral meetings are planned to discuss issues of intensifying and expanding both bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
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The Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee, Irakli Beraia, and members of the Committee met the Deputy Assistant Secretary-General for Emerging Security Challenges, James Appathurai, who is on a visit to Georgia.
During the meeting, the participants discussed the Euro-Atlantic integration process of Georgia and the significance of expediting Georgia's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance. They also deliberated on the necessity of further reinforcing practical assistance from NATO to Georgia to counter hybrid threats.The meeting was attended by Committee members Aleksandre Tabatadze, Khatia Tsilosani, Herman Sabo, Aleksandre Elisashvili, Aleksandre Motserelia, and the Head of the NATO Liaison Office, Alexander Vinnikov.
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, together with a delegation, has set out on a visit to Belgium.
Within the scope of the visit, Irakli Garibashvili will hold high-level bilateral meetings at both NATO and the EU.Led by the Prime Minister, the Georgian delegation consists of Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and Head of the Government Administration Revaz Javelidze.Press Service of the Government Administration
