PM Skvernelis: Georgia Is Important Strategic Partner for Lithuania
The Prime Minister of Lithuania, Saulius Skvernelis, stated Georgia is an important strategic partner for Lithuania, while meeting his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Kvirikashvili in Tbilisi on January 29.
At the joint press-conference with Kvirikashvili, Skvernelis said Georgia is the main trading partner in the South Caucasus region for Lithuania.
“Georgia absolutely deserves the title of the Eastern Partnership leader, and we are sure that Georgia will maintain its leading position. This is the result of sustained efforts of the Government of Georgia, and we will always support Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration,” the Lithuanian PM stated, adding that Georgia has made a lot of progress in terms of reforms and the implementation of Association Agreement with the EU.
Skvernelis thanked Georgia for actively contributing to global security, and for participating in NATO-led peacekeeping missions.
“This contribution should become an important argument for granting Georgia NATO membership,” Lithuanian PM noted, and expressed his country’s firm support to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We firmly support Georgia's territorial integrity and strongly condemn Russia's creeping annexation of Georgian regions - Abkhazia and Tskhinvali. We continuously raise this issue at the international forums, and demand that Russia fully comply with the six-point ceasefire agreement,” he added.
Georgia’s PM thanked Skvernelis for his visit, and underlined the friendly and long-lasting relations between Georgians and Lithuanians.
He said that this year, the two countries mark the 100th anniversary of restoring independency of Lithuania and declaring the first Republic of Georgia.
“Lithuania is a close ally and friend of Georgia. We have many times underlined how faithful Lithuania has been towards supporting Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, our country's rapprochement with the EU and the Euro-Atlantic integrations,” Georgian PM said.
Kvirikashvili stated that bilateral cooperation in various fields with Lithuania deepens every year, adding Georgia shares Lithuania’s experience in Twinning programs, which helps in the process of carrying out reforms.
“At today's meeting, we paid particular attention to the deepening of our economic relations. There is a great potential in this direction, and our priority is to fully exploit this potential to ensure that our economic indicators comply with high levels of political relations,” he added.
The Georgian PM also said that the number of Georgian students studying in Lithuania has significantly increased.
“Lithuania's government annually allocates state scholarships, and now more than 200 Georgian students are studying in Lithuania's higher education institutions. I am sure that these 200 young people will in time become Lithuanian cultural ambassadors in Georgia,” he noted.
Before making joint statements, the two officials held face-to-face and extended meetings.
By Thea Morrison