Mogherini visits Georgia to stress importance of cooperation with Eastern Partners
After visiting Ukraine, High Representative Federica Mogherini i was in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Tuesday. The visit involved meetings with President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. She also met with the Chairman of the Parliament David Usupashvili and leaders of the parliamentary factions, as well as with civil society. Georgia is one of the six partner countries of the Eastern Partnership and signatory of the Association Agreement/Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the European Union.
The High Representative spoke to the press after meeting with Prime Minister Garibashvili. She stressed the importance of cooperation with Georgia and the Eastern Partners in general and said "implementation of the Association Agreement is key. The partnership we have developed is going well." She also added, "we really value and appreciate Georgia's contribution to EU missions and operations in the Central African Republic and Ukraine. This is a really concrete cooperation on security issues, day by day".
Earlier in the day, Mogherini gave a speech at the International High Level Conference Achieving Gender Equality . "Gender equality is not simply a moral duty, and a matter of social justice, of equal access. This makes our societies richer and more secure. It is a matter of development, and a matter of peace and security, not purely a matter of principles.", she said. "Protecting and promoting the voice of women is a political and a moral duty, and it's also a powerful investment in our own security.", she underlined.
Click to read the full speech here
The official trip to Georgia ended with a field visit to the Administrative Boundary Line, with the EU's Monitoring Mission (EUMM Georgia).
Links:
EU-Georgia Relations Fact Sheet
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