Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau Visits Georgia

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau is visiting Georgia. He met today with President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and his Georgian counterpart, Ilia Darchiashvili.

Among the topics discussed at meeting between resident Zurabishvili and Polish Foreign Minister were Georgia’s EU integration and the importance of Polish support in this process, says the President’s Administration. It was noted at the meeting that EU integration is the aspiration and the firm choice of the Georgian people. The Georgian President thanked the Polish side for his country’s firm support for Georgia’s European integration, which is of geopolitical importance for Europe. The sides also discussed regional security challenges and the importance of strengthening Black Sea security, as well as the situation in the occupied Georgian territories and the war in Ukraine.

According to the Government Administration at the meeting between PM Garibashvili and Foreign Minister Rau the sides discussed bilateral relations. Special attention was paid to bilateral trade and economic cooperation and ways to deepen it. The sides also discussed issues related to Georgia’s EU integration and importance of Poland’s support in this process.

The Polish Foreign Minister met with his Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili. Speaking at a briefing after the meeting, Ilia Darchiashvili noted that Georgia and Poland share not only deep historical ties and a long tradition of friendship, but also common interests and aspirations.

He also noted Poland’s unwavering support for Georgia’s European choice, which is the cornerstone of our country’s foreign policy. He also noted that the meeting focused on the issue of Georgia’s EU candidate status, which, as Darchiashvili said: “will strengthen Georgia’s unconditional belonging to Europe and pave the way for our country to become a member of the European Union”. The sides discussed Georgia’s implementation of the EU’s 12 priorities, Darchiashvili said, adding: “We expect that our country’s progress will be assessed fairly and according to its merits, and that both Georgia and the European Union will celebrate another historic decision”. According to him, the meeting also focused on Georgia’s function as a strategic link between Europe and Asia and the importance of connectivity. The need to strengthen Europe’s energy security and Georgia’s role in this process was highlighted. In this context, the importance of the Black Sea submarine electricity cable was noted.

The situation in Georgia’s occupied territories was also discussed at the meeting, and Poland significant contribution to the EU Monitoring Mission was especially noted.

According to the Minister, the meeting focused on bilateral relations between Georgia and Poland and ways to maximise their potential in the fields of security, trade, economy, tourism and culture.

As Darchiashvili noted, the visit of the Foreign Minister of Poland, one of Georgia’s closest allies, has a special significance as Poland plays a prominent role in supporting Georgia’s foreign policy priorities and consolidating the support of the international community.

The message of the Polish Foreign Minister at the press conference was that of Poland’s support for Georgia. He noted that Georgia and Georgian society enjoy high esteem in Poland due to similar historical experiences and struggle against Russian imperialism, and that Poland supports Georgian society’s aspirations for freedom, independence and peace. He underlined the importance of the practical implementation of the Open Door Policy for both NATO and the EU, which will allow Europe to “breathe with two lungs – the Western and the Eastern” and achieve peace and indivisible security for the whole of Europe. He stressed that this was the conviction of former Polish President Lech Kaczyński, who at the 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest strongly supported the granting of the Membership Action Plan to Georgia, and when Russia invaded Georgia in the same year, led the countries of the region and beyond to stop the Russian aggression. The Minister also recalled that Poland was the initiator of the Eastern Partnership initiative, which aims to provide equal development opportunities for all Europeans, including Georgia.

He said that Poland will continue to consistently support the European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian society, stressing that EU and NATO membership is in the interest not only of Georgia but also of the Euro-Atlantic community. He noted that the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July this year and the EU’s forthcoming decisions on candidate status have stimulated diplomatic activity and that his own visit is aimed at discussing the challenges and opportunities along the way, including Poland’s role in finding solutions.

Zbigniew Rau said that the situation of former President Mikheil Saakashvili was also discussed at the meeting. He said Poland was trying to find a “constructive solution”.

During his visit to Georgia, Foreign Minister Rau will pay tribute to the heroes who died fighting for the unity of Georgia and lay a wreath at the memorial. Tomorrow he will also meet representatives of the opposition.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)