2024-01-26
Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia
Greetings, Mister Prime Minister! I once again welcome your delegation! I would like to thank my dear colleague and friend. It is a great honor to be hosting you in Tbilisi once again.
Firstly, I would like to point out that we had a very good meeting. Together with Mister Prime Minister, we discussed important matters pertaining to the relations, partnership, and cooperation between the two countries across a variety of directions. I also would like to inform you that we held the 13th Meeting of the Commission for Economic Cooperation, during which we also discussed important topics related to trade, economy, and our relations in general. It is with great pleasure that I want to announce that the trade relations between our countries are on the rise, with the trade turnover having already exceeded one billion USD. Armenia is the 6th largest trade partner of Georgia, also the 2nd largest import country, which we of course welcome. I also want to emphasize with pleasure that, last year, we received almost one million tourists from Armenia, which is undoubtedly very important to our country, for the development of our economy. Most importantly, I would like to single out our today’s decision, on which we have been working over the recent months. As early as the spring of 2023, I announced that we would sign a memorandum on strategic partnership. I also want to underline that traditionally, historically we are strong allies and friends, not just neighbors, and we enjoy a very good partnership, relations, and cooperation in every direction. In fact, one may say that we have always been strategic friends and strategic partners to begin with, and today this reality, this given fact has been formalized by officially signing the cooperation agreement on strategic partnership. I also want to point out that we are thankful to our Armenian colleagues. Needless to say, both countries are committed, and both Governments are ready to further develop our trade and economic relations. Georgia has always been in favor of lasting peace and stability in the region. Mister Prime Minister is well aware of my position and the position of our Government. We have always been and are ready to contribute to the cause of establishing lasting peace, which will benefit the countries and nations of the entire region. We are very optimistic and hopeful about the ongoing dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and I would like to express the hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan will soon sign a peace treaty, which will undeniably foster the strengthening of peace in the region, also promoting stability, which—and I would like to repeat—is important to our countries and our nations.
I also want to point out that, similar to Georgia, Armenia also enjoys a high economic growth, and it is important to keep this dynamic. Together with Mister Prime Minister, we reiterated that December 15 was a very important date to us, our country, because Georgia received, obtained the EU candidate status, and the country became an EU candidate state, which is of course important not only to our country and people, but also to the region. And I want to state once again that now it is crucial to continue rapid work on new regional projects. We have heard Mister Pashinyan’s declared interest in regional projects, such as the Black Sea Cable Project and others we are currently working on. Naturally, I mean large projects. Thus, I would like to reiterate that this day has been very important, historic. Once again, I thank my friend and colleague, Mister Pashinyan and his team, and I yield the floor to him.
Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia
Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen, attending audience, Esteemed Prime Minister! Today, the 13th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation between Armenia and Georgia was held. I would like to thank Mister Garibashvili, our Georgian colleagues for hosting this meeting in Tbilisi and for its top-level organization. I sincerely congratulate the Government of Georgia and the Georgian people on obtaining the EU candidate status. I place special emphasis on the roles of both the Government led by Mister Garibashvili and the people in this process. It is a historic event for Georgia and the whole region. It is with joy that I would like to emphasize that, since the resumption of the 2019 format of the Intergovernmental Commission, meetings have been held on an annual basis. Today, we discussed a wide array of topics, from economy to culture, trade, and people-to-people contacts. We also spoke about the infrastructure and prospects of connectivity in the South Caucasus. We underlined the importance of implementing projects to ensure economic advancement, also discussing matters related to a number of directions. In this context, I must emphasize that the customs agencies of the two countries are actively considering the introduction of joint control models on border checkpoints, in which case the amount of time necessary for customs processes will be reduced.
I introduced our colleagues to the Crossroads of Peace project by the Republic of Armenia. I spoke about this initiative and presented it in October 2023, when I, on the invitation of Mister Garibashvili, participated in the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum. This project seeks to enhance regional relations, and the protection of state sovereignty is very important in this process. Our region can become a very important route connecting the South and the North, the West and the East. In all this, inclusiveness is vitally important, so that every state may be able to participate in economic projects. A good example of this is the Black Sea Cable project, in which Armenia takes a keen interest.
Honorable attending audience, representatives of the Governments of Georgia and Armenia, today Armenia and Georgia achieved a breakthrough. Together with Mister Prime Minister, we signed the joint declaration on Armenia-Georgia strategic partnership. This is a result of our joint efforts and embodies our determination. This achievement underlines that we must step up our efforts and not settle for what has been accomplished, as we discussed during the meeting. In discussions with Mister Garibashvili, we decided to instruct our agencies to take effective steps toward the finalization of the delimitation of the Armenia-Georgia border. We also spoke about the efforts of the Republic of Armenia toward the regulation of relations with Azerbaijan. It was emphasized that militarization and other similar directions will not benefit our relations. Peace will be established in the region when we will reach an agreement and sign a peace treaty based on public principles. In conclusion, I would like to state that we have adopted a joint resolution to protect, maintain, and deepen lawful relations in every direction, and to discuss every problem that may arise down this road based on the principle of mutual understanding. Mister Garibashvili, thank you for your warm hospitality in hosting me and my delegation. I wish success to our cooperation!