Georgia: Minister of Finance Lasha Khutsishvili met in a virtual format with Elena Flores, Deputy Head of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs.
The Minister of Finance thanked him for the effective, fruitful and long-lasting cooperation between the EU and Georgia.
Lasha Khutsishvili expressed special gratitude for the support provided by the European Union to the country during the difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting once again highlighted the EU’s financial and technical assistance to Georgia, which makes a significant contribution to the EU integration process.
The meeting focused on Georgia’s application for EU membership. As the Minister of Finance noted, Georgia has completed the questionnaire as soon as possible, and now the country is waiting for a decision on obtaining the status of a candidate for membership.
The discussion concentrated on the pre-pandemic and the state of the country’s economy during the pandemic, especially the situation in the region after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the current challenges.
Moreover, they focused on Georgia’s support for Ukraine and the implementation of international sanctions.
As the Minister of Finance noted, despite the existing challenges, Georgia continues to pursue the reform agenda. One of the examples was the public financial management reform, which resulted in Georgia becoming a world leader in the open budget index.
