“Georgia is a Black Sea country with a very clear ambition to be part of the European Union and a very clear declaration that we want to be a member of the European Union and move in that direction,” said the Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili at the Delphi Economic Forum.

In her remark, the FM noted that ” it is important to see what comes from the other side.”

“For 10 years, we have proved that we can implement many things to bring European standards. And if you look at the region, Georgia is the closest to European standards when it comes to the implementation of our association with the European Union and being a reliable partner as well. We have proved in many ways that Georgia can be a reliable partner.

For NATO and the European Union, being part of EU missions or NATO missions, none of these missions were solely in the national interest of Georgia. Georgia’s national interest was simply to show our commitments toward NATO and the European Union. And here we are, ready for cooperation with a clear declaration that we want to be part of the European Union.

Of course, it is important to see what comes from the other side because without dialogue, without talking about the region—and I fully agree—without asking each other what we want to have, what we want to see on the Black Sea, how we want to develop regional cooperation, it will be impossible to have such cooperation. So it is absolutely important to have a strategy and then to implement that strategy and commit ourselves to its implementation.

The best strategy would be to develop economic cooperation, and make use of all the opportunities that are provided, and to invest maximum effort into developing such cooperation in the Black Sea.

And, of course, then comes security of the Black Sea, and it is very difficult to say anything while we have an ongoing war there and while we see clear violation of international principles. I also agree that it is absolutely important to keep these principles – international principles and international law – in mind and to keep them as a basis of our cooperation,” Botchorishvili said.