The Prime Minister of Georgia participated in the Leaders Dialogue of the Eastern Partnership, which was led by Charles Michel, President of the European Council and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. The meeting was held in the format of a video conference.

One of the topics was the Eastern Partnership and its achievements. Participants reviewed the current trend of cooperation between the European Union and countries of the Eastern Partnership. Measures taken against the coronavirus were also discussed.

Giorgi Gakharia elaborated on the success achieved by Georgia in the fight against COVID-19 and noted that time has come to translate new challenges into opportunities.

“Now, when almost every restrictive measure has been lifted, we are getting prepared for a gradual re-opening of our borders. At the same time, when EU member states decide to gradually re-open their borders, I hope to see Georgia among the list of safe countries not only because we are close partners, but predominantly because of being a safe partner. Our aim is to invest further in the democratic and economic reforms, even when we are gearing towards general elections scheduled this fall.

We need greater goals. We hope that the European Union will support our gradual integration to a single EU market, which will be a key benchmark for the Eastern Partnership. We expect that an approach based on interests and progress of partners will be maintained. It may involve interaction with countries in a new format by facilitating a sector dialogue, supporting the essential connectivity with a specific focus on the potential of the Black Sea. It should be one of the benchmarks for stimulating the economic welfare and for meeting the connectivity goals of the EU and Asia.

Violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity is our reality with severe consequences on regional security. We rely on the EU support for securing the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders and for a greater engagement in the peaceful conflict resolution within Georgia and in partnership at large”, - concluded the Head of the Government.