Georgia:Â The Foreign Minister of Georgia, Ilia Dariashvili, met with the acting Chairman of Euto, the Minister of Foreign, European and Trade of Malta, Jan Borg, on February 17, 2024, within the framework of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2024. The two ministers discussed various issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, as well as the security situation in the region.
According to a press release from the Georgian Foreign Ministry, Dariashvili and Borg exchanged views on Malta’s priorities and current challenges during its EU Chairmanship, which started on January 1, 2024. Dariashvili thanked Borg for keeping Georgia’s issue in the high-level agenda of the EU, especially in the context of the ongoing Russian occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He also expressed his appreciation for Malta’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its participation in the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia.
The two ministers also touched upon the agenda of European integration of Georgia, which is one of the main foreign policy goals of the country. Borg reaffirmed Malta’s firm support for Georgia’s European aspirations and praised its progress in implementing the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) with the EU. He also welcomed Georgia’s contribution to the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operations, such as the EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) and the EU Naval Force in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED).
Ilia Dariashvili and Borg agreed to enhance the bilateral cooperation between Georgia and Malta in various fields, such as trade, tourism, culture, education and innovation. They also announced that Borg plans to visit Georgia in the near future, as the current chairman of Euto, to further strengthen the ties between the two countries.
The MSC 2024, which takes place from February 16 to 18, 2024, at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, is the world’s leading forum for debating the most pressing challenges to international security. The MSC 2024 will also mark the 60th anniversary of the conference, which was founded in 1963 by Ewald von Kleist.
