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• Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili meets new Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

  Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili held an introductory meeting with Meline Arakelian, new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Georgia.

  In the meeting at the Government Administration, the key directions of cooperation between Georgia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands were discussed.

  The discussed topics included the relations between Georgia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands which are characterized by a growing dynamic both on the bilateral level and within the frameworks of international organizations.

  Attention at the meeting was paid to the process of Georgia’s European integration. The Head of Government briefed the Ambassador on Georgia’s progress and the state of affairs in the implementation of the 12 recommendations. He also pointed out that Georgia is expecting the candidate status by the end of this year.

  The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of granting the candidate status to Georgia and the significance of support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands in this process.

  Irakli Garibashvili congratulated Meline Arakelian on the commencement of her diplomatic mission in Georgia and wished her success in her future endeavors.

  Press Service of the Government Administration
• AMBASSADOR OF TURKMENISTAN IN GEORGIA PRESENTED COPIES OF HIS CREDENTIALS

  On August 31, 2023, the ceremony of presenting copies of Credentialsby the newly appointed of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan in Georgia Mr. D.Seyitmammedov to the Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia Mr. A.Khvtisiashvilitook place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

  The Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment and expressed readiness of the Georgian side to provide assistance and support in his activities for the further development of bilateral relations.

  During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the current state and prospects for cooperation between the two countries. Theyalso touched upon the issue of organization of high-level mutual visits, as well as the issues of further development and strengthen of Turkmen-Georgian cooperation in political-diplomatic, trade-economic, and cultural-humanitarian spheres.

  The Ambassador, in turn, assured that he would make every effort to further strengthen relations between Turkmenistan and Georgia.

• ILIA DARCHIASHVILI HAS MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GEORGIAN DIASPORA IN THE STATE OF ISRAEL

  On 2 May 2023, within the framework of his visit to the State of Israel, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Darchiashvili, met with representatives of the Georgian diaspora.

  Within the framework of the meeting, Ilia Darchiashvili introduced the state diaspora strategy and emphasized the priority importance of working on diaspora issues. He also spoke about the initiatives and innovations the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has implemented to ensure  effective communication with the diaspora.

  The Minister of Foreign Affairs also spoke about the important role of the Georgian diaspora in preserving national and cultural identity abroad, promoting Georgia and building up a positive image of the country.

  Ili Darchiashvili thanked the diaspora representatives for their participation in the meeting and expressed readiness for further intensive communication with them.

• THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF GEORGIA, ILIA DARCHIASHVILI HAS PAID AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE STATE OF ISRAEL

  The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili and the Minister of Economy and Industry of the State of Israel, Nir Barkat signed a joint declaration on completion of the technical and economic feasibility study for a free trade agreement between Georgia and the State of Israel. 

  Before the signing ceremony, the Minister had a meeting with the Minister of Economy and Industry of Israel. Within the framework of the meeting, the sides discussed current issues on the agenda of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and the great potential of cooperation in the economic area, including bilateral trade, investments and tourism.
  Within the framework of the two-day visit, Ilia Darchiashvili will meet with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, and the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog.
  Meetings with the chairman of the Knesset, ministers of economy, tourism and internal affairs are also planned. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will lay a wreath at the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Centre on behalf of the Georgian people.

• AMBASSADOR DEGNAN'S REMARKS TO MEDIA AT SKILLS WEEK

  Question about the event

  Ambassador Degnan:  I’m very pleased to be here today, along with the Minister of Education, my EU colleague, and many other distinguished guests for the launch of Georgia’s Skills Week. The United States has been helping Georgia develop its education sector for years, including in the area of vocational education and training. This is because we want Georgian citizens to be able to acquire the skills they need through vocational education and training in order to get good paying jobs for rewarding lifelong careers. This is our latest program through USAID: industry-led skills bring together the private sector that coordinates with vocational education and training institutions to make sure that students are coming out with the skills that are needed in today’s market. The programs are designed to bring together the government, the private sector, vocational and education training institutions, and civil society to make sure that Georgians have the opportunity for better paying jobs and rewarding careers that are going to help both their families and their communities. So, we are delighted today to launch Skills Week, a weeklong celebration of the achievements that Georgia has made in this area.

  Question on designations on individuals associated with the Georgian judiciary and U.S. study tours for judges

  Ambassador Degnan: Our study tours have been popular and successful because they bring together judges from the United States with judges in Georgia and give them an opportunity to learn from each other and to share their best practices and lessons learned. Sometimes they talk about how they manage their courtrooms, the heavy workloads, or sometimes particularly interesting issues that come up during cases. Our programs are open to those who are qualified, as well as those who will benefit from these exchanges with American judges and maybe bring ideas back to their courtrooms. They’re also open to those who can go because this is a big time commitment. Sometimes, given the workloads of judges here, they’re not always able to go for the full two weeks; sometimes it’s even longer than two weeks. So, we are always delighted when Georgian judges choose to participate in our programs, and we usually have a lot of interest in them. We look forward to continuing this great exchange between Georgian and American judges.

  On your second question, Parliament created these investigatory commissions as a mechanism to look into issues that are important to the people of Georgia, to look into issues of the day that require greater transparency, and more information to allow the citizens of Georgia to be better informed and also to hold people accountable and provide transparency on important issues. So, the reason this mechanism was created by Parliament was to provide citizens with more information. I think it’s a very useful technique that’s been a mechanism that’s used in many different Parliaments, including the US Congress. We would hope that Parliament and Members of Parliament would make full use of these tools that they have created in the interest of their citizens. 

  Question on Helsinki Commission’s call for Nika Gvaramia’s release

  Ambassador Degnan: The Helsinki Commission is a very well-respected organization that has a mandate from the United States Congress to monitor human rights around the world, including media freedom. They have been clear, as have many others, including our Embassy, on concerns about Mr. Gvaramia’s case, including the original charges, the timing of the charges, and then subsequently the conviction and decision. This is a letter from an organization that has been a friend of Georgia’s for a very long time, a strong supporter of Georgia in its democratic development and its progress toward European integration. Any decision regarding pardoning is solely up to President Zourabichvili, and I’m sure she takes all of the requests—such as those from the Helsinki Commission—into consideration in making her decisions. 

  Source: https://ge.usembassy.gov/ambassador-degnans-remarks-to-media-at-skills-week/