Within the framework of the event, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia took part in an informal meeting with his colleagues, where the topic of discussion was the effective functioning of the OSCE in the light of the challenges facing the region and the world.

Later, Ilia Darchiashvili held a bilateral meeting with the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Javier Colomina.

The sides discussed current issues on the NATO-Georgia agenda, Georgia’s progress on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration, future prospects for deepening practical cooperation, and expectations for the 2024 NATO Washington Summit. They gave a positive assessment to the dynamics of high-level communication between Georgia and the Alliance and the busy agenda of cooperation.

Within the framework of the ministerial, Georgian Foreign Minister met with his Icelandic counterpart, Bjarni Benediktsson. They welcomed the positive dynamics of cooperation between Georgia and Iceland and discussed the possibilities of developing relations in various fields.

The sides emphasized Georgia’s interest in strengthening ties with the Nordic countries. According to the Ministers, it is necessary to strengthen political dialogue against the backdrop of geopolitical challenges facing the world. The Georgian Foreign Minister expressed his thanks for Iceland’s support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The sides emphasized the importance of the European Commission’s recommendation to grant Georgia a candidate status.

The sides expressed the hope that by the end of this year, the country will receive the well-deserved candidate status.

Ilia Darchiashvili also met with his Austrian counterpart, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg.

The ministers reviewed the existing successful relations between the countries in bilateral and international formats. Special attention was focused on the agenda of Georgia’s EU integration. In this regard, the ministers welcomed the European Commission’s recommendation to grant Georgia a candidate status and noted the positive dynamics that Georgia has shown in fulfilling the EU recommendations. The ministers expressed hope that the European Council, by granting Georgia a candidate status, will keep up the historical process of bringing the country back to the European family.

Ilia Darchiashvili thanked his Austrian colleague for maintaining the principled position and supporting Georgia"s European aspirations. He noted that the Government of Georgia also continues to actively work on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the European Commission’s enlargement report.

Discussions also focused on the security environment in the region. Darchiashvili informed his colleague about the current situation in the occupied territories of Georgia. Schallenberg reaffirmed that Austria supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity both in the OSCE and all other international formats.