2019-01-21
Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia:
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me greet you all,
Prime Minister, let me thank you for your hospitality and note that it is my great honor to pay an Official Visit to your country.
It is symbolic that our visit coincides with 25th Anniversary of diplomatic relations existing between Georgia and Lietuva. Nevertheless, our nations did not actually start interaction a quarter of a century ago, but pride themselves with a much longer history of relations involving centuries in the past.
One may say without exaggeration that Lietuva is the closest ally and friend of Georgia. Our special relations are evidenced by the milestones celebrated last year - 100th Anniversary from the establishment of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia and 100th Anniversary of Regained Statehood of Lietuva. Besides, our nations are now referred to by their authentic names - Sakartvelo and Lietuva.
We have said it many times and I wish to once again confirm that we highly appreciate the long-lasting committment demonstrated by Lietuva towards Georgia. Our cooperation and political dialogue is getting stronger and deeper by years. I wish to note with pleasure that potential of our cooperation is much higher and respectively, we are working towards finding new opportunities. Lietuva is actively trying to share its experience within the scope of Development Cooperation and EU Twinning Projects to assists us in the implementation of our reforms.
I talked with my colleague at the meeting today on the prospects of deepened economic relations. We reviewed significant regional projects in the energy and transport sectors. Their joint implementation will facilitate the boosted transit potential of the country and exposure to new markets.
Trade volumes have been increasing over the past years between the two countries. Number of visitors to Georgia has also been doubled, which greatly resulted from the direct flights between Vilnius and Kutaisi. I am confident that it will facilitate the activation of trade and economic relations, and will further deepen business contacts.
It is gratifying that international and cultural relations are getting deeper, especially among our youth. More Georgian students tend to choose your universities for their degree education. Currently, almost 200 students are admitted by your higher education institutions, who may benefit of the government scholarships allocated by the Government of Lietuva. I wish to once again express my gratitude for this to the authorities of the Republic of Lietuva.
At the same time, I requested my colleague to start an active cooperation on yet another significant reform. Lietuva is considered as one of the most successful state in terms of support provided to start-ups and creation of a business environment to encourage start-ups. Georgia is making first steps towards this end and it is very important for us to share the experience of our friendly nation in this field.
Apart from the bilateral relations, key part of our meeting today was dedicated to the progress achieved towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration, characterized with truly unprecedented dynamics. I wish to use this opportunity and thank my colleague on behalf of the Government of Georgia for the extraordinary contribution made in success of Georgia towards the European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
We are creating new formats of EU cooperation, which will give a greater impulse to Georgia towards European integration and will create new opportunities. Our goal is to become most possible compatible with EU, thus opening new prospects of greater integration for our country. That is the purpose of the EU-Georgia Membership Roadmap, which will be presented to our European friends in the nearest future.
This year is also special, as we are celebrating 10th Anniversary of the Eastern Partnership in 2019. We talked at the meeting on the significance of deepened cooperation of our countries within the scope of Eastern Partnership.
We noted at the meeting today that Georgia has achieved a progress towards accession into the Alliance, successful democratic transformation of our country and unprecedented level of practical cooperation with NATO. We also noted that Georgia has all the practical mechanisms for a fully-fledged membership into NATO.
I wish to once again express my gratitude to the Lietuvan authorities for their solid support of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, along with the efforts directed at the strengthened non-recognition policy of the occupied territories of Georgia.
We discussed the heavy results of occupation by Russia and steps made towards annexation. We talked about the deteriorated situation in Abkhazian and Tskhinvali regions, permanent violations of human rights and existing humanitarian disaster in the occupied territories of the country.
Georgia has received a tremendous support from the international community in the past ten years towards the peaceful resolution of the conflict. Georgia will succeed in achieving peace and stability only through a solid and consistent efforts of the international community.
Prime Minister, I wish to once again express my gratitude for hosting me and Georgian delegation. I am convinced that our meeting today will give a positive impulse to the implementation of new initiatives and relations between our countries.
Thank You!
Saulius Skvernelis, Prime Minister of the Republic of Lietuva:
Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia is paying an Official Visit to Lietuva today. It is his first and hopefully not the last visit to our country, though it is the first one within this capacity. Therefore, I wish to congratulate my colleague with the visit as a Prime Minister and wish him success.
It is well known to all that Lietuva has long been paying special attention to relations with Georgia and will continue with this trend in future as well. We have always been supporting and will continue to support the independence and territorial integrity of Georgia. Neither force, nor intimidation with force are allowed in international relations. We have been supporting and will continue to support the solid aspiration of Georgia towards its full integration in the EU and NATO, similar to the Lietuvan case. Also, we have been supporting and will continue to support the choice of Georgia to create an open, democratic and prosperous state based on the principle of justice. We are doing it and will continue to do it not only with the power of word, but with action. Events scheduled in the Agenda of the Visit have just commenced, though a number of topics are included to cover the symbolic and most practical matters.
This year we are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. I wish to note herewith that our diplomatic history involves over 550 years. Decisions made by our nations have been key within the context of 100th Anniversary of regained independence, according to which Georgia is referred to by its authentic name, while our friends call us Lietuva, instead of Lithuania.
Another good news is that direct flights between Vilnius and Tbilisi will commence from April this year, which will facilitate the development of tourism and business linkages.
Our relations are exemplary. At the same time, we believe that it is possible to further intensify economic cooperation. We have talked that Lietuva may be proud of its excellent start-ups, which have been increased five-fold over the past years. We have already attracted an investment in the volume of 183 million Euros towards this end and I hope that new opportunities will emerge in this field for the cooperation of our countries.
Cooperation at the municipal level is extremely optimistic. Half of our 60 municipalities have partners in Georgia.
We support the Euro-Atlantic aspiration of Georgia through specific steps and action. We welcome the fact that aspiration of Georgia towards its EU and NATO membership is embodied in the Constitution of the country, which has been enforced from December.
At the same time, we support Georgia in continuing its reforms and maintaining leadership among the countries of Eastern Partnership of EU. Once again, let me greet you and wish you great success.