Stenbock House, 12 May 2017 – Prime Minister Jüri Ratas met with Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili, and the meeting focused on the bilateral relations between the two countries, their cooperation in the international organisations, the Eastern Partnership, and the situation in the occupied territories.
“The bilateral relations between Estonia and Georgia are excellent – June will mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries,” Prime Minister Ratas said. “Estonia strongly supports Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. One should not forget the fact that a large part of Georgia is still occupied by the Russian Federation.”
“The security situation in the South Caucasus region requires constant attention from the international community. Unresolved conflicts cannot remain in the shadow of new crises,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister emphasised that Estonia supports Georgia in its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. “I am glad that Georgia recently achieved a visa-free regime with the European Union. This is a significant achievement by the people and the Government of Georgia,” Ratas said.
When speaking about the Eastern Partnership, Ratas stated that Georgia represents the success story of the Eastern Partnership. “The Eastern Partnership is an essential priority to us during the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the next summit of the Eastern Partnership will also take place in November. We highly appreciate Georgia’s efforts in carrying out the reforms and implementing the association agreement,” Ratas said. “I would like to encourage Georgia to further use the tailor-made solutions of the Estonian Centre of Eastern Partnership in developing the reforms.”
According to Prime Minister Ratas, the cooperation between Estonia and Georgia is also exceptionally good in the fields of security, education, and e-governance in addition to cooperation at the European Union level. “Our relations show growth potential in the field of economy, and we need to make a joint effort to encourage the growth of trade and investments,” Ratas said.