Within the framework of the official visit to the Republic of Ireland, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ilia Darchiashvili met with the Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense of Ireland, Micheál Martin.

At the meeting, the ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the ministries of foreign affairs of the two countries, which, according to the sides, will contribute to the development of high-level political dialogue and to the deepening of existing relations in both bilateral and international formats.

Micheál Martin announced Ireland’s decision to exempt Georgian citizens with diplomatic passports from visa requirements when traveling to Ireland. As mentioned at the meeting, the technical implementation of the decision is currently underway. The sides welcomed this decision and expressed the hope that it will facilitate the visa regime for Georgian citizens in the future.

The ministers also highlighted that Ilia Darchiashvili paid his visit to Ireland for the first time after a long-term pause. It was noted that this visit will further develop the agenda of bilateral relations between the countries, which has been characterized by increasing dynamics recently.

The sides paid special attention to the process of Georgia"s accession to the European Union. The Georgian Minister provided his colleague with comprehensive information on the implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission and expressed the hope that Georgia"s efforts will be properly appraised when making a decision on granting the country a candidate status. On the other hand, the Irish side once again expressed its support for Georgia"s European aspirations. The Ministers emphasized the importance of the support of the EU member states, including Ireland, during this important period, and the opportunity to benefit from Ireland"s positive experience in this process.

The agenda of bilateral relations between the countries was reviewed in detail during the meeting. The sides noted the political support reaffirmed by Ireland towards Georgia in both bilateral and international formats. The ministers also emphasized the importance of developing sectoral and trade-economic ties between the two countries. Discussions at the meeting focused on the security environment in the region.

Ilia Darchiashvili thanked his colleague for supporting Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for Ireland"s active involvement in the EU Monitoring Mission. The sides also discussed the issue of holding the next round of political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries in Tbilisi this year.

At the meeting with the Minister of State for European Affairs, special attention was paid to the current agenda of Georgia"s accession to the EU and the importance of Ireland’s support in this process. Ilia Darchiashvili presented the Minister of State for European Affairs with comprehensive information about the progress that Georgia has made in terms of fulfilling the European Commission’s 12 recommendations and noted that the Georgian government is firmly pursuing the agenda of reforms necessary for joining the EU. The sides emphasized the strategic importance of the decision to grant Georgia a candidate status.