Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia met the Monitoring Committee Members from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Meeting was focused on the close and productive cooperation between Georgia and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and its importance.

Discussion was centered on the current political position and upcoming local elections. It was noted that authorities of Georgia stand ready to ensure the free and fair setting for holding the elections. A number of reputable international observation missions are already invited to the elections.

The Head of Government of Georgia expressed his gratitude to the co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the support demonstrated in the process of democratic reforms in Georgia. Challenging situation in the occupied territories of Georgia was discussed at the meeting and the role of the support extended by the Council of Europe in the peaceful resolution of the conflict was highlighted. Prime Minister of Georgia profoundly acknowledged the firm support of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) towards the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within the internationally recognized borders, thereby noting that authorities of Georgia highly regard the Consolidated Report of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe titled as a Conflict in Georgia, as well as supporting resolutions made by the Parliamentary Assembly towards Georgia.

Delegation from the Monitoring Committee of PACE included Titus Corlatean, Co-Rapporteur (Romania, SOC); Claude Kern, Co-Rapporteur (France, ALDE) and Bas Klein, Deputy Head of Secretariat.

Press Service of the Government Administration

Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia met Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland in Tbilisi today.

Meeting held at the Government Administration focused on the major directions of cooperation between the two countries. Solid support of Poland and its significance towards sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, along with an encouragement on the way of European and Euro-Atlantic integration was highlighted during the meeting.

Outstanding contribution of Poland towards the development of Georgia and successful implementation of reforms through programs carried out under the umbrella of Polish Aid was noted at the meeting.

Economic cooperation between the two countries was reviewed. Need to deploy the existing economic and trade potential was highlighted, thereby noting that Poland is a significant market for Georgia and that Georgian products are highly popular among Polish consumers. Thus, agreement was reached on organizing business forums and deepening business contacts. It was also noted that the upcoming meeting of the Intergovernmental Economic Commission is scheduled for September of the current year. It will also facilitate the intensified relations between the countries. Focus was made on the sector of tourism towards this end, thereby noting that Georgia has always been a popular travel destination and attraction for Polish visitors. Dignitaries agreed during the meeting to have every condition created in Georgia for the safe travel of foreign visitors and Polish tourists.

Successful cooperation between the two countries in the area of defense was underlined at the meeting. Engagement in joint military exercise and trainings was referred to as a significant milestone.

Current situation in the occupied territories of Georgia was also discussed at the meeting. It was noted that the Government of Georgia is loyal to the policy of peaceful resolution of the conflict, which is in essence aimed at Russia's de-occupation of Georgian territories, reconciliation and restoration of trust among the communities divided by the occupation line.

Meeting was attended by Malgorzata Gosievska, Deputy Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland; Piotr Gliński, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland; H.E. Mariusz Maskiewicz, Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of the Republic of Poland to Georgia from the visiting delegation. David Zalkaliani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia; Thea Tsulukiani, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth of Georgia and Ilia Darchiashvili, Head of Government Administration attended the meeting from the Georgian side.

Press Service of the Government Administration 

The Official Visit of Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia to the Republic of Armenia has started.

A welcoming ceremony was held at the Residence of the Government of the Republic of Armenia.

The Head of Government of Georgia was hosted by Nikol Pashinyan, incumbent Prime Minister of Armenia.

National anthems of the two countries were performed.

Prime Ministers are scheduled to make statements to the media after a face-to-face and extended meetings between Irakli Garibashvili and Nikol Pashinyan at the residence of the Government of the Republic of Armenia.

Press Service of the Government Administration

"We are launching a nation-wide renovation!" It was announced by Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia at the Executive Government Meeting today.

Explanations on the components of the program were thereby given by the Prime Minister of Georgia.

"This program envisages the urban renovation of 63 municipalities, rehabilitation of cultural and historic sites of heritage, along with the rehabilitation of municipalities, administrative centers, arrangement of recreation areas, development of infrastructure for tourism in recreation parks, construction of landmark facilities in all municipalities, cities and all public buildings. Urban renovation of municipalities, resorts and settlements will be made within the scope of the initiative. Also, new leisure, tourist and public areas will be created within the program.

Of course, you are all aware that many places exist in Georgia that need to be made even more attractive for our citizens in the first instance and for the guests of our country - our tourists - at the same time" stated Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia.

In the opinion of the Head of Government of Georgia, equal socio-economic development needs to be facilitated in the regions of the country.

"Advancement of living conditions, labor and development opportunities for our citizens everywhere in the country should become the main goal of the state. Creation of new attractions of tourism for the local population in the regions of the country, improvement of the social environment will, of course, contribute to the recovery, renewal, development and new opportunities for the population of each region.

First phase of the regional renovation project has been budgeted at 500 MLN GEL. The initiative envisages the creation of new jobs in the first instance. We estimate that approximately 15 000 new jobs will be created under the project and that the local residents will be employed in regions of the country.

Tenders for projects envisaged within the scope of the nation-wide program will be announced this week and as I told you, we will launch a series of large-scale works in 63 municipalities from June of the current year" stated Irakli Garibashvili today.

As the Prime Minister noted, the projects envisaged within the program will be implemented by the Municipal Development Fund (MDF) of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia (MRDI) along with municipalities.

"Expenditures of the program will be funded with 500 MLN GEL from the state budget and with support of international financial institutions (IFIs). As for the program itself, all the best architects will be involved in the program and the project. Of course, the authenticity of all regions and municipalities will be maintained on the ground and this will be a very strong start for a large-scale renovation of our country.

We will be launching these works very soon. Mr. Irakli Karseladze and his team have been working on the blueprints very actively for the last 2 years and I want to thank him. Now we have to move on to the actual work. We must establish a new standard pretty much everywhere and equally in all municipalities. It will be a new, European standard that will change the overall picture of our country completely. Now we need maximum mobilization, more endeavours, more hard work to support and assist our people" stated the Head of Government of Georgia.

Press Service of the Government Administration  

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) as a result of regular testing.

According to the Georgian governmental administration, the Prime Minister I. Garibashvili feels well, is in self-isolation and continues to work remotely.

Press Service of the Government Administration

On the Georgian Government's decision, the country's Interagency Development and Reform Council has been established to develop Georgia's 10-year development plan, in line with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili's initiative.

Designed to ensure effective response to the country's challenges, the Interagency Council will be chaired by the Head of Georgian Government.

The Development and Reform Council will consist of Ministers, MPs, and other officials. The Development and Reform Councilis authorized to create working groups and subgroups, and, if need be, invite representatives of other institutions, specialist and experts from relevant areas, and/or private sector actors.

The Development and Reform Council seeks to submit the country's 10-year development plan to the Government of Georgia no later than May 31, 2021.

The decree on the establishment of the Development and Reform Council has been signed by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

Press Service of the Government Administration

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany congratulated Irakli Garibashvili on his appointment as the Prime Minister of Georgia.

According to the congratulatory letter, Germany will further continue to support economic development of Georgia, along with its pro-European reforms and territorial integrity.

"Your Excellency, congratulations on your re-appointment as Prime Minister of Georgia. Very good bilateral relations between our countries create a credible framework for trusting cooperation between our governments.

Germany is following the current political negotiations in your country with keen interest and will continue to support economic development of Georgia, its pro-European reforms and territorial integrity.

I wish you every success in your demanding role at the time full of unusual challenges" reads the letter.

Press Service of the Government Administration

The ultimate wish and task of all of civilized Europe and, in this case, of Mr. Michel is for us the authorities to continue working in the Parliament together with the opposition, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili told the press during his visit to Brussels.

A solution must be sought, though it cannot be at the expense of the state's interests, the Head of Government added.

"We had a very productive meeting with President Charles Michel. I would like to thank him once again for his direct mediatory engagement. His envoy is presently in Tbilisi, continuing negotiations with both the opposition and our party. The process continues. Tomorrow, we will have a chance to engage in dialogue. I would like to make one thing clear. We are called to find a solution, but it in nowise can happen at the expense of the state's interests. Of course, we are ready for a fair decision. It must be a compromise more or less acceptable to all. We have openly stated our position. I shared with Mr. Michel the position of our party and the Government, and he listened to our offers attentively. As you know, the opposition, over the past few days, has been especially destructive in its attempts to widen the gap instead of contributing to the process of dialogue. We have seen numerous attempts and provocations over the past few days. I hope that the opposition can continue constructive dialogue. The ultimate wish and task of all of civilized Europe and, in this case, of Mr. Michel is for us the authorities to continue working in the Parliament together with the opposition. And that is our ultimate task as well. Next few days will show how we will fulfil this task. I will abstain from disclosing our concrete positions, because there is no agreement yet and negotiations are still underway," Irakli Garibashvili said.

Press Service of the Government Administration

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili will participate in the 6^th meeting of the Georgia-EU Association Council, in Brussels. The Government delegation led by the Head of Government departed for Brussels today.

The visit includes high-level meetings in the European Commission, the European Council and the Parliament, and NATO.

Irakli Garibashvili will hold his first meeting today, with President of the European Council Charles Michel.

On March 16, after the Georgia-EU Association Council's meeting, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, and European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhely will hold a joint press conference.

On March 17, high-level meetings will be held in the European Parliament and NATO. The Head of Georgian Government will be hosted by the Alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, at NATO headquarters. After the meeting, Irakli Garibashvili and Jens Stoltenberg will hold a joint press conference. The NATO-Georgia Commission is also scheduled to convene.

The Georgian delegation led by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili consists of Vice Prime Minister, Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natia Turnava, and Justice Minister Gocha Lortkipanidze.

Press Service of the Government Administration

Today, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, together with Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natia Turnava, held a meeting with the leaders of OMV Petrom SA, a company that will explore oil and gas in Georgia.

The meeting at the Administration of the Government emphasized the importance of this project. The relevant agreement places Georgia among the countries with oil and gas shelf exploration.

The project involves extraction, and collection, acquisition, and processing of geological and geophysical data for oil and gas extraction in the course of 25 years on the Black Sea's continental shelf.
The Prim Minister emphasized that the Georgian Government welcomes cooperation with OMV Petrom-a subsidiary of OMV, which ranks among Europe's top 10 oil companies-and is ready to provide support toward the project's successful implementation.

According to the Head of Government, the entry of such a large company reaffirms that Georgia's business environment, including in the area of oil and gas extraction, is transparent and appealing to world-class oil giants.

During the meeting, OMV Petrom was represented by CEO Christina Verchere, Exploration and Appraisal Director Bernhard Krainer, and Business Development and Commercial Director Jose Rafael Duque-Ramirez.

After the meeting with the Prime Minister, the relevant agreement was signed, at the Government Administration, by Giorgi Tatishvili, Head of the State Agency for Oil and Gas at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, on one hand, and by Jose Rafael Duque-Ramirez and Bernhard Krainer, on the other, as representatives of OMV Petrom SA.

On June 22, 2020, the State Agency for Oil and Gas LEPL at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development announced an open international competition for the general oil and gas license encompassing the Black Sea's license blocks 2 and 3. OMV Petrom SA, a member of the large Austrian oil group OMV, won the license to operate in block 2.

The tender's wining company will carry out 2- and 3-dimensional seismic exploration works, and drilling will commence in the last phase of the project. The value of the drilling phase will depend on exploration results.

The value of a similar project involving the exploration of the Domino well by Austrian OMV in Romania's territorial waters is 1.5 billion USD. Exploration work on the Black Sea is underway in Turkey, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine. Exploration work has resulted in the discovery of large hydrocarbon wells in Romania and Ukraine. Bulgaria, where the company also operates, is close to a similar commercial discovery.

Press Service of the Government Administration