On Friday, Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilia Darchiashvili reported to the parliament in interpellation rule.

The FM spoke about the Georgia-China strategic partnership agreement recently signed during the latest visit of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to China.

Ilia Darchiashvili stressed that the strategic partnership with China does not contradict and “will in no way hinder Georgia’s main foreign policy priorities, integration into the Euro-Atlantic space.”

According to the FM, Georgia-China relations will strengthen Georgia’s function as the East-West transit hub and contribute to Georgia’s security as an alternative transport route connecting Asia and Europe.

Ilia Darchiashvili went on to say that Georgia is the only country in the region that signed a free trade agreement with the European Union and China at the same time.

“Georgia has proven to be a reliable partner for both the European Union and China,” he stated.

Ilia Darchiashvili responded to the allegations of the opposition, explaining that Georgia-China bilateral relations “served one of the main strategic goals to diversify foreign trade,” adding Georgia had a unique geographical location and “could effectively use it in connecting East and West.”

“If someone is trying to cast a shadow on the EU integration by saying that we are strengthening relations with China, in parallel, I recommend you to see what kind of plans the European Union has for relations with China,” the FM concluded.