The delegation of the Political and Security Committee (PSC) of the European Union is visiting Georgia on April 10-11. During the visit, the members of the delegation have already met with the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country Ilia Darchiashvili, and the Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani.
PSC is a permanent body within the European Union dealing with Common Foreign and Security Policy issues, including Common Security and Defense Policy.
Meeting with President of Georgia
On April 10, the EU PSC delegation met with the Georgian President, Salome Zurabishvili at the Orbeliani Presidential Palace. During the meeting, the sides discussed EU-Georgia relations, the reintroduction of the so-called Russian law, and Black Sea security issues.
The presidential administration said that the discussions also focused on the situation in the occupied territories of Georgia, as the delegation reiterated its firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia. For her part, President Zurabishvili expressed her gratitude for the EU monitoring mission.
The President emphasized that “the EU integration process is very important for the Georgian people” that, she stressed, shares the EU values.
The President also discussed the reintroduced Russian-style Foreign Agents Law, calling it a “challenge” for the country and noting that if passed, the law will have an “impact” on civil society. “Destroying the civil sector, which protects the values of the EU, is in fact the real goal of Russia,” the official press release said.
“When it comes to the choice between Europe and Russia, the President cannot be neutral,” Zurabishvili said at the meeting.
President Zurabishvili also spoke about abolishing gender quotas for women MPs in Parliament, saying that recent rhetoric on the issue in the country was “unacceptable”.
During the meeting the parties also discussed the security issues of the Black Sea. According to the Georgian President, the security of the Black Sea is not only for the region, but for the whole of Europe. She also noted that Russia is trying to turn it into a “sea of confrontation.”
Meeting with Foreign Minister
On April 10, the EU PSC delegation also met with Georgian FM Ilia Darchiashvili.
According to the official press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the sides discussed the security situation in Georgia and the region. FM Darchiashvili informed the members of the delegation about the difficult security and humanitarian situation in the occupied territories and reiterated the Government’s firm commitment to the peaceful settlement of the conflict. For their part, the members of the delegation underlined the EU’s unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Special attention was paid to Georgia’s role for the EU in the Black Sea region.
The sides also discussed Georgia’s EU integration process. The PSC members congratulated Georgia on obtaining the status of an EU candidate country and noted that “the EU door is open” for Georgia. FM Darchiashvili reiterated “the Government’s loyalty to the country’s European course and readiness to implement the complex reform agenda,” according to the official press release. FM Darchiashvili informed the guests about the process of implementation of the nine conditions set by the European Commission for Georgia and expressed his expectation that Georgia “will move to the next stage of accession in accordance with the important progress [it is making].”
Meeting with Defense Minister
On April 10, the PSC delegation also met with Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani and other Defense Ministry officials.
During the meeting, Minister Chikovani informed the members of the delegation about the reforms in the defense sector, the sides discussed the developments in various formats of cooperation with the EU. According to the official press release of the Ministry, the sides paid attention to the financial assistance provided within the framework of the European Peace Facility (EPF), as well as to the issues of cooperation within the framework of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) and other regional challenges.
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