I am confident that Catherine Colonna’s visit to Georgia will give our ties a new push, said Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili during a joint press briefing following the meeting with the French Foreign Minister.

As far as regional security is concerned, Darchiashvili believes this visit will be a very positive signal. The Minister stated that the two countries ties and communication were highly dynamic and that “this honest and in-depth dialogue will continue in the future.”

“In light of the security challenges on the European continent and in this critical period for Georgia, I believe the visit will provide a significant new impetus. I believe this is also a sign of political support from our friends in France,” said Ilia Darchiashvili.

He argues that the relations between the two countries are strong because of centuries-old historical ties and shared European values between them.

As the Georgian Minister noted, he updated the guest on the government’s efforts to meet the EC’s 12 criteria.

“I informed her that last year was a highly productive parliamentary year in terms of legislation. Georgia’s Parliament passed over 80 new laws to follow these recommendations. We believe that a significant portion of the work has already been completed, but there is still more to do. Together with international organizations, we continue to work,” said Darchiashvili.

Georgian FM stated Georgia values France’s robust support for our country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, saying “France’s unwavering support in this direction is very valuable for Georgia.”

Darchiashvili stated that he spoke about the Caucasus region’s extremely difficult security environment.

“You know Russia’s military aggression against sovereign Ukraine fundamentally altered the security architecture not only in our region but throughout the world. I believe we should work actively to ensure that the new security architecture maximizes and improves security in all regions,” Minister continued, emphasizing that “Georgia stands firmly toward implementing the state peace policy with the occupied territories.”

Darchiashvili thanked his counterpart for the strong support provided by the French Development Agency over the years.