The Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili met with the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Austria Wolfgang Sobotka, the Speaker of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Markéta Pekarová Adamová and the Speaker of the Parliament of the Slovak Republic Boris Kollár.

According to the information of the Georgian Government, the parties reviewed the friendly relations and broad cooperation between Georgia and the Republics of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was emphasised that, in addition to promoting the strengthening of bilateral relations, the visit of the Speakers of the Parliaments of these countries to Georgia within the framework of the "Slavkov format" was important as a demonstration of their support.

The Head of Government expressed the hope that the political and practical support of these countries will help Georgia in the next stages of its path towards the European Union.

Special attention was paid to the fact that Georgia is waiting for the candidate status at the end of the year and that the country is fulfilling the 12 priorities in an inclusive, consistent and transparent manner. It was stated that Georgia remains a reliable partner and security ally of the European Union.

According to the Prime Minister, Georgia deserves to be granted candidate status, which will reduce polarisation and contribute to the stable development of the country.

The conversation also touched upon Euro-Atlantic integration and security issues in the Black Sea region, as well as Georgia's occupied territories. The Head of Government thanked the leaders of the Austrian, Czech and Slovak parliaments for their strong support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and for their policy of non-recognition. Their contribution to the EU monitoring mission was noted.

The meeting, held at the Government Administration, was attended by the following guests: members of the delegations of Austria, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic and Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Georgia, and, from the Georgian side, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilia Darchiashvili and Head of the Government Administration Revaz Javelidze.

Commenting on the visit, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, expressed his appreciation for the visit and the intensive communication which took place at an important time for Georgia in the current difficult and challenging geopolitical situation and on the way to EU membership.

As the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia stated, Georgia is connected with all three countries by a long and multidimensional cooperation. He thanked the leaders of the parliaments of all three countries for supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and the policy of non-recognition of occupied territories.

During the visit, Markéta Pekarová Adamová said that all countries have problems with polarised politics. She called on the Georgian authorities to take steps to restore confidence in the country's political life. She specifically addressed the issue of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

"We know it's not easy, but I call on the current leadership of Georgia to act responsibly and take some measures to restore confidence. Giving Mr Saakashvili access to the necessary medical care is not only an obligation - it will also be a positive signal for the opposition," said the President of the Czech Parliament.