VAKHTANG GOMELAURI HOSTED THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR OF THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN
The Minister of the Interior of the Kingdom of Spain - Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gomez, together with the delegation, paid an official visit to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.
Within the framework of the visit, the Ministers of Internal Affairs of the two countries held an official meeting.
The parties discussed the importance of tight and effective cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of Georgia and the Kingdom of Spain. During the meeting, the role of police attaches was highlighted in the development of cooperation between the law enforcement bodies, lately conducted joint operations were further positively evaluated.
Vakhtang Gomelauri expressed hope that the issue of signing agreement on mutual recognition of driving licenses between the parties will successfully be completed in the nearest future. The Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia noted that as a result of the amendments implemented in the national legislation of Georgia, the Georgian driving licenses were harmonized with the EU standards.
During the meeting, the Ministers of Internal Affairs of the two countries signed a protocol between Georgia and the Kingdom of Spain on the implementation of the "Agreement between the European Union and Georgia on the readmission of persons residing without authorization”. The mentioned agreement will contribute to strengthening cooperation between Georgia and Spain in the field of fighting against illegal migration effectively.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister of the Interior of the Kingdom of Spain thanked Georgian colleague for the hospitality and expressed readiness to continue active collaboration with the Georgian side on priority issues for the law enforcement agencies of the two countries.
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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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A high-level Steering Committee meeting within the Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the Field of Green Energy Development and Transmission between the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary was held in Tbilisi. The Parties to the Agreement emphasized the importance of cooperation in Green Energy Development and Transmission as well as energy security thus underlining the significance of implementation of the Black Sea Submarine Cable project.
The Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili, opened the meeting. Minister of Finance of Georgia Lasha Khutsishvili, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, Director of Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency Javid Abdullayev and State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy of Romania, George-Sergiu Niculescu also attended the event. European Union Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński, Regional Director of the World Bank in the South Caucasus Sebastian Molyneux, General Director of “Georgian State Electric System” Giorgi Gigineishvili and other high-ranking guests also took part in the event.
The Black Sea Submarine Cable project will be implemented with the support of the Georgian Government and the cooperation of the Georgian and Romanian transmission system operators – “Georgian State Electric System” and “Transelectrica”. On December 17, 2022, an Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the Field of Green Energy Development and Transmission between the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary was signed. One of the important issues of the Agreement was the Black Sea Submarine Cable project – upon the implementation of the project, a 1195-kilometer cable will connect Georgia and Romania (1100 km underwater and 95 km on-land cable). The Cable will allow the countries of the South Caucasus and Romania to take advantage of expanded export opportunities and trade based on the hourly prices of the electricity market.
The Black Sea Submarine Cable is a strategic project and a great investment opportunity for Georgia and its neighbouring countries. It will contribute to the development of the renewable energy sector, increase transit opportunities and bilateral trade potential between the EU and the South Caucasus region, which in turn will ensure a sustainable and reliable energy future for the regions.
At this stage, "Georgian State Electric System" with the help of consulting company CESI is carrying out a feasibility study of the project. In the future, within the framework of the project, environmental and social impact assessment and geophysical and geotechnical studies of the Black Sea bottom will also be carried out. The possibilities and best ways of practical implementation of the project will also be determined. The committee will review a presentation prepared by CESI outlining ongoing and planned activities within the feasibility study.
Next meeting of the Steering Committee established within the frame of the Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the Field of Green Energy Development and Transmission between the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary will be held in Bucharest.
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The Speaker, H.E. Shalva Papuashvili held a meeting with the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate of the Kingdom of Spain; at the meeting, the Georgia-Spain close cooperation has been positively estimated.
The Speaker expressed his gratitude to Spain for supporting the territorial integrity and European aspirations of Georgia.
“We highly appreciate the assistance and support of Spain in terms of the facilitation of our territorial integrity and the non-recognition policy. The support of Spain is expressed not only in words but in deeds by participating in the EU Monitoring Mission”, - Speaker Papuashvili noted and dwelt on the progress of Georgia in compliance with the EU recommendations hoping that the Parliament will have fulfilled all the recommendations within the spring session.
According to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Antonio Gutiérrez Limones, the Spanish Delegation is composed of members of various political groups, though all of them strongly support the EU candidacy for Georgia.
“When Spain assigns the EU presidency in the second half of 2023, it will serve as an additional trigger for granting the EU candidacy to Georgia, which is the will of the President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Spain as well. We recognize Georgia as a part of Europe”, - he stated.
