“Show me a country in Europe with economic growth like Georgia. I want to congratulate Georgia, the Georgian people, and the Georgian state on such remarkable results,” said Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at a joint press conference with Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili in Belgrade.

According to Vučić, Georgia will serve as a model in the region next year.

“I want to thank President Mikheil Kavelashvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. Despite the demonstrations and rallies, Georgia’s economy is performing exceptionally well, with 9.4 percent growth. This is unprecedented in Europe,” Vučić noted.

He added, “It is a great honor to welcome the President of Georgia to Serbia. For the first time in history, we have the opportunity to host him. Serbia and Georgia share close relations, although in the past, we have not worked hard enough to deepen them.”

Vučić highlighted the warmth of Serbian-Georgian ties.

“The closeness between our peoples is such that President Kavelashvili will not find a single person here who can say anything bad about Georgia. Everyone loves Georgia. He will experience Serbian hospitality. We have established direct flights from Tbilisi to Belgrade, which is a result of economic and other cooperation. We will soon open an embassy in Tbilisi, providing a space for business initiatives and deeper political cooperation,” he stated.

During the meeting, both leaders discussed global political and geopolitical issues, the Caucasus region, the Western Balkans, and South-Eastern Europe. Vučić emphasized the importance of upholding UN Charter requirements and respecting each country’s territorial integrity.

“I am grateful to Georgia for respecting Serbia’s territorial integrity, just as Serbia respects Georgia’s. We are relatively small to medium-sized countries, but we uphold international law firmly. A joint committee meeting will soon begin strategic discussions on a free trade agreement, which will benefit both countries,” he declared.

Vučić also spoke about Georgia’s strategic importance.

“Georgia is a beautiful country, bordering the Black Sea, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. We understand Georgia’s position in global geopolitics. The free trade agreement, expected next year, will allow us to access Georgian products at competitive prices. We also discussed cooperation in agriculture, artificial intelligence, and military affairs. Our countries support each other in the UN and other international organizations. We will continue frequent political consultations and strengthen our relations,” Vučić stated.

He concluded, “President Kavelashvili arrived in Serbia yesterday and will have many meetings today and tomorrow. We will do everything to further improve and deepen our relations.”