On 3 November 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Krišjānis Kariņš, welcomed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili, who had arrived in Latvia on a working visit.
The officials discussed the bilateral relations between Latvia and Georgia and Georgia’s progress with reforms in relation to its Euro integration course, as well as the regional and global situation, including the war waged by Russia’s in Ukraine and its geopolitical influence.
In a conversation with his Georgian counterpart, Krišjānis Kariņš called on the Georgian Government to demonstrate a strong commitment to aligning itself with the values and policies of the European Union.
“Latvia expects the Georgian government to take targeted action towards the further implementation of reforms, especially in the area of the rule of law, and alignment with the common foreign and security policy positions of the European Union, especially regarding Russia,” Krišjānis Kariņš underlined at the meeting.
The Foreign Minister brought attention to a historic discussion coming up at the European Council this December on granting candidate status to Georgia and, in view of clear support by Georgian society for EU membership, he called on the Georgian Government to demonstrate that by delivering tangibly on commitments.
Krišjānis Kariņš reaffirmed Latvia’s strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders and offered further assistance to Georgia in its Euro-Atlantic integration and reform efforts. The Latvian Foreign Minister emphasized the valuable experience of Euro-Atlantic integration amassed by Latvia and other Baltic States, as well as strengthening of resilience implemented in a targeted manner, taking into account the threat posed by Russia.
