Ekaterina Zaharieva Confers in Batumi with Georgia’s President and Prime Minister
11 July 2019 News
Within the framework of her working visit to Batumi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva conferred with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili and with Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze. During her visit, Zaharieva participated in an international conference dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership.
At her session with President Zourabichvili, the chief Bulgarian diplomat pointed to the traditionally good relations between Bulgaria and Georgia and emphasised that Bulgaria is one of the most active champions of Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic perspective.
Minister Zaharieva highlighted Georgia’s achievements in a number of areas and said that she expects the EU to judge each country on the merits applying the “more for more” principle: more reforms and compliance with the terms of the association agreements in exchange for a greater commitment and integration on the part of the EU. Bulgaria has committed itself to be a strong voice in support of Georgia when the post-2020 framework of relations is determined, including through close interaction between the two countries’ diplomatic missions to the EU in Brussels.
Within the framework of her visit, Minister Zaharieva also conferred with Prime Minister Bakhtadze. They discussed opportunities for bilateral cooperation, and the host briefed his guest on the progress of three projects agreed with the Bulgarian Prime Minister during Bakhtadze’s visit to Bulgaria in April 2019: setting up a new digital corridor between the two countries, laying an electricity transmission cable on the Black Sea bed, and increasing the ferry services linking the two countries. Minister Zaharieva said that it took her 16 hours to reach Batumi from Sofia, which is why the EU is bound to help Georgia upgrade its transport infrastructure. Prime Minister Bakhtadze said that work is underway on starting a direct air service between Sofia and Tbilisi in the autumn of 2020.
The two concurred on the importance of taking advantage of their countries’ strategic location for building transport and energy connectivity between Europe and Asia. Mamuka Bakhtadze thanked Bulgaria for supporting his country on its European path, and Minister Zaharieva assured him that Georgia can rely on Bulgaria’s continued help.
Deputy Prime Minister Zaharieva also conferred with the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament of Georgia Sophie Katsarava, who chairs the legislature’s Friendship Group with the Parliament of Bulgaria. Bilateral relations and Georgia’s European perspective topped the agenda of the talks.
More photos
