The Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili held a meeting with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó.

The conversation revolved around Georgia’s progress toward European and Euro-Atlantic integration and Hungary’s unwavering support to that end. The Georgian Government is taking necessary steps for the country to make an official request for full EU membership in 2024.

Special emphasis was placed on reginal security, the situation in the occupied territories, and the new geopolitical arrangement.

Péter Szijjártó reiterated Hungary’s strong support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The meeting emphasized the importance of further deepening the relations between Georgia and Hungary, notably in the areas of trade and economy, transport ties, and tourism. The Prime Minister emphasized that the Georgian Government welcomes the readiness of Wizz Air to resume international flights from Georgia, a step poised to strengthen people-to-people contacts and contribute to the development of tourism.

Péter Szijjártó invited the Prime Minister to pay an official visit to Hungary at his convenience.

The parties also discussed the global challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as eth process of preparation for vaccination. They also underlined that the Georgian Government maintains close cooperation and active negotiations with international partners and immediate vaccine manufacturers to enable the country to import the first batch of vaccines as soon as possible.

During the meeting, education was singled out as one of the priority areas of bilateral cooperation. The Head of Government commended the signing of the memoranda recently signed by Georgia and Hungary, a tremendous step toward further deepening the cooperation between the countries.

These agreements, signed after the meeting by Georgia’s Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Mikheil Chkhenkeli and Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, seek to deepen cooperation in terms of both promoting the internationalization of higher education and fostering science and technology.

On Georgia’s behalf, relevant programs and projects will be implemented by the International Education Center, and the Tempus Public Foundation will act on behalf of Hungary.