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.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council took place on 24 April, with the situation in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova as priority topics.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed the EU ministers via video conference, and briefed them about the latest developments on the ground and Ukraine’s military priorities and needs, especially in terms of ammunition and missiles. 

EU High Representative Josep Borrell highlighted that in total the EU and its member states have already facilitated the delivery to Ukraine of over €13 billion in military support. 

He also updated ministers on EU military support to Ukraine in the context of the three-track plan. On track one, the EU adopted an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility worth €1 billion to address Ukraine’s most immediate needs. EU member states are also finalising work on track two, to facilitate joint procurement. Lastly, the European Commission will soon present concrete proposals on how to ramp up the European defence production capacity under track three.

Ministers were also informed about the activities of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine), which has already exceeded its initial target by training over 16,000 Ukrainian soldiers. The EU aims to train a total of 30,000 soldiers by the end of 2023.

EU Foreign Ministers also held an informal exchange with the Georgian Foreign Minister, Ilia Darchiashvili, and confirmed that Georgia has made significant progress in many key reforms. They also highlighted that rule of law, human rights, media, civil society and independent state institutions are important elements for each country aspiring to join the EU.

Concerning Moldova, the Foreign Affairs Council established a new civilian EU CSDP partnership mission (EUPM Moldova), reached a broad agreement on a new framework for sanctions against those who destabilise the country, and on allocating further €40 million coming from the European Peace Facility to support Moldova’s defence capabilities.

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Press release

On 20 April 2023, within the framework of his working visit to the Republic of Italy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Darchiashvili, attended the "Touch of Heaven" exhibition dedicated to the Georgian alphabet. The exhibition was held in the historical building of the Florence Palace, where the works of calligrapher and artist, Giorgi Sisauri were displayed.
Within the framework of the exhibition, 38 uppercase letters and 19 religious themes were presented.
The event was organized by the Embassy of Georgia to the Holy See, through the support of the Dante Alighieri Society.

Today, on April 14, 2023, a round table was held at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan on the topic “New formats of cooperation in the international information environment”.

The event was attended by representatives of international and national media, private media, relevant ministries and state agencies of Turkmenistan, press attaches of diplomatic missions accredited in Turkmenistan, experts and specialists in the field of information and communication policy, as well as teachers and students of the Faculty of International Journalism of the Institute of International Relations.

In frames of an extensive agenda, various aspects and directions of international information activities were discussed.

Opening the round table, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Myahri Byashimova noted the important role played by the outlet in the modern media space. In this context, she stressed that the current format of interaction is a platform for discussing the importance of the mass-media in establishing links in the international information field, aimed to bridge positions.

It was stated that the Government of Turkmenistan sets priority tasks for the domestic media sphere. Today, there is a need for more active promotion in the global digital space of up-to-date and reliable information about Turkmenistan, news reports on the transformations and achievements taking place in the country, studying the best world experience, the emergence of new formats and standards of broadcasting, print, and electronic press. Along with this, the expediency of further improvement and activation of the activities of private media in Turkmenistan was noted.

Particular attention was drawn to the initiatives of the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov regarding regional cooperation in the media space, announced at the 4th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia.

In particular, was told about the illegal use of information technology, the implantation from the outside of ideas and attitudes that run counter to the historical traditions of the peoples of Central Asia, the basic values and centuries-old foundations of their life.

In this regard, a proposal of the head of the state to make joint efforts so that Central Asia remains a zone of stability and trust, not subject to risks for peace and development, was commented

In this context, the idea of holding a Central Asian media forum dedicated to security issues with the participation of state news agencies, print media, and electronic media has been put forward.

The head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat, Ambassador John MacGregor, during his speech noted that media development issues are high on the agenda of the Organization. At the same time, this "round table" is a vivid example of constructive cooperation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the OSCE Center in Ashgabat in the field of media development. The initiative to hold the current forum in Ashgabat testifies to the growing role of Turkmenistan in promoting commitments within the OSCE and, thus, shows the desire to take an active position in the international media space.

The work of the “round table” continued in the framework of two sessions devoted to the issues of information sustainability in the 21st century and information policy in the context of the widespread development of social networks. During the sessions, with the active participation of OSCE international experts Marek Bekerman and Yakub Parusinski, an exchange of views took place on such topical issues of our time as the role of the state in creating a sustainable information space, aspects of media literacy in society, the development of information awareness among youth, issues of tackling misinformation and fake news, as well as the importance of education and continuous professional development of journalists in countering the above-mentioned challenges and problems in the media field.

Participants noted the important role of social networks and PR technologies in the modern digital information space, as well as issues of interaction between the state and media communities. In this context, aspects of the effective use of social networks as an important tool for communication and cultural exchange were discussed.

At the end of the sessions, interactive communication was held in the "question-answer" format, during which a thorough and constructive exchange of views took place on issues and topics on the agenda of the forum. Great interest was shown in the educational process and creative work of the future generation of journalists studying at the Institute of International Relations.

The participants of the "round table" noted the role and constructive activities of Turkmenistan in matters of close cooperation with all stakeholders in the region and beyond in the information and communication sphere.

The parties also viewed the exhibition of specialized foreign policy publications, deployed on the sidelines of the "round table".

Head of Turkmenistan's MFA Rashid Meredov and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed holding bilateral virtual consultations on the sidelines of the C5+1 ministerial meeting, the website of the U.S. Department of State reports.

"We have a very good and effective mechanism of bilateral consultations – ABC*," Meredov said, stressing that the Turkmen side is determined to hold political consultations with the United States in the near future to discuss important issues of bilateral cooperation and the regional agenda.

In turn, Anthony Blinken noted that the USA is proud of the more than 30-year partnership that has been built with Turkmenistan, adding that the United States welcomes the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Turkmenistan.

The interlocutors also touched upon the topic of cooperation in the economy and the fight against climate change.

The ABC (Annual Bilateral Consultations) format is a tool for annual virtual discussions and consultations between high-ranking officials of Turkmenistan and the United States.

On 15 February 2023, the First Deputy Minister, Lasha Darsalia met with the head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Georgia, Anne Montavon.
Discussions focused on issues of cooperation between Georgia and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The first deputy minister thanked the head of the delegation of the ICRC for the humanitarian efforts made by the organization in Georgia, especially for the support of the population living in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions and people affected by the Russia-Georgia conflict.
At the meeting, attention was focused on the difficult situation in terms of humanitarian and human rights on the ground, and in this context, the role and importance of active involvement of international organizations was emphasized.
At the end of the meeting, the parties confirmed their readiness to continue close cooperation.

On 18 October 2022, within the framework of his working visit to the Republic of Lithuania, the Georgian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Teimuraz Janjalia held a bilateral meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister, Egidijus Meilūnas.
Discussing issues relating to bilateral relations during the meeting, the deputy ministers took stock of  the busy agenda of high-level visits. The sides noted the positive dynamics of cooperation in the fields of economy, tourism, defence and security. Emphasizing the importance of the regular exchange of bilateral visits, Teimuraz Janjalia expressed the hope that Georgia’s political dialogue with the Lithuanian side will continue and further deepen.
The sides discussed the security challenges facing the region against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. The Lithuanian Deputy Minister was provided with detailed information about the current situation in the occupied territories of Georgia, the progress in the Geneva International Discussions and the peace policy of the Georgian government. Teimuraz Janjalia emphasized the importance of Lithuania’s traditionally strong support for Georgia in the current difficult and changing environment.
Speaking about the European integration of Georgia, Teimuraz Janjalia informed his Lithuanian colleague about the country’s current progress in terms of fulfilling the obligations under the Association Agenda and the European Union’s twelve recommendations.
At the end of the meeting, the Lithuanian side once again confirmed its unwavering support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for its European and Euro-Atlantic integration. The deputy ministers agreed to continue close cooperation.

Despite the protracted COVID-19 pandemic and the downward pressure on the economy, foreign companies are optimistic about the Chinese market and plan to further increase their investment in China.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s met with the State Councilor and Foreign Minister the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi. Held within the scope of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the meeting focused on the close friendly relations between the two countries and prospects of their development.
Irakli Garibashvili and Wang Yi discussed the key directions of the cooperation between Georgia and the People’s Republic of China and commended the existing productive cooperation.

It was pointed out that China is among Georgia’s top five trade partners.
China’s support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity was pointed out.
The Head of Government assured the State Councilor and Foreign Minister the People’s Republic of China of Georgia strong support for the One-China policy.
Emphasis was put on the importance of cementing bilateral ties and the high dynamic of agency-level cooperation was applauded.

The parties welcomed the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Georgia and expressed readiness to foster the further deepening of the existing friendly relations between the two countries.

Press Service of the Government Administration