On November 15, Olivér Várhelyi, the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, arrived in Georgia. He met with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and participated in a news conference together, the Press Office of the Georgian government reported.

Remarks by Irakli Garibashvili

Prime Minister Garibashvili highlighted the active aid the EU has given Georgia in expanding its economy, particularly in the infrastructure and energy sectors. "The most essential thing about these partnerships is that they are built on our shared values and interests. Our relationship is dynamic, a very solid collaboration," he said.

The Prime Minister of Georgia also brought up the war in Ukraine as one of the major issues the area is currently dealing with. He stated that their common desire is for this war to end as soon as possible. PM Garibashvili reiterated, "I want to say once again that we support Ukraine, Ukraine's sovereignty, and their independence as much as possible [and] at all levels."

In his remarks, Prime Minister Garibashvili also brought up the subject of Russian occupation and said that the ongoing presence of Russian forces in Georgia continues to be one of the nation's biggest problems. He emphasized, "Our major objective and purpose is to de-occupy our land and make our country whole peacefully." In addition, the Prime Minister claimed that since the Georgian Dream Party came to office, the nation had experienced constant peace and stability comparable to when independence was initially re-established. "After we gained power, we were able to achieve this with our sensible policies and at the same time with our ideals," he stated.

During the news conference, Prime Minister Garibashvili said, "The Commissioner is a real friend of our nation, a friend of our people, and an enthusiastic supporter of our country's European choice," thanking him for his personal contribution to Georgia's Europeanization. The Georgian PM stressed that in addition to having great motivation, this is also a huge duty for the Georgian governing force, the Georgian administration, and the Georgian people. He also emphasized that this is the Commissioner's first visit to Georgia since the EU awarded Georgia a European perspective. He said that Georgia is devoted to its European option and stated, "We understand this well, and with this duty and in this spirit, we are methodically working on the execution of the 12 recommendations." The Prime Minister emphasized that this is their historical option and the choice of the generations. It is the desire of generations that they become a worthy and complete member of the European family. They are doing their best on this route. In this context, PM Garibashvili drew attention to the 12 recommendations' execution and mentioned that the Georgian Dream party proposed a plan to do so a week after receiving them and urged all parties to participate in the endeavor. He emphasized, "Unfortunately, the opposition is not involved in the process despite having a direct responsibility to implement the recommendations, particularly the first and most important one, which is depolarization."

Remarks by Olivér Várhelyi

The Commissioner stressed that Georgia must work extremely hard to establish its preparedness to become a candidate country regarding the 12 recommendations for Georgia to achieve candidate status. "I must also emphasize that, of course, this can only be realized if the entire nation, all of Georgia, and all Georgians - inside or outside of Georgia - strive for this shared objective," he said. "Because I am a firm believer that history never presents an opportunity twice," the Commissioner added. Olivér Várhelyi stated that he was pleased to see initiatives already being made to carry out the EU reforms, such as judicial reforms and the fight against corruption.

"The message I bring with me is that we want to build a partnership with you when it comes to reliable energy supply to Europe and, through it, energy security for Georgia and the Caucasus as well as for Europe," he stated. During the press conference, Commissioner Várhelyi also spoke about energy security and advancing EU-Georgia relations. He noted that the Black Sea is the heart of the EU's intentions for Georgia. He underscored the symbolic and historically significant proposal for a Black Sea electrical cable linking Georgia with Europe. The Commissioner stated, "We need reliable, trusted partners in the fields of security, the economy, and energy, particularly in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Georgia could be one of those allies."

Meeting with Financial Institutions

Olivér Várhelyi, the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, and Irakli Garibashvili met with ministers and executives from major financial institutions as part of their visit to Georgia to talk about funding initiatives aimed at Georgia's economic integration with the EU.

The relevant parties underlined during the discussion that bilateral economic cooperation is a priority for both Georgia and the European Union, according to the press office of the Georgian government. According to the same report, the conference primarily focused on potential areas of collaboration in energy, communication, and trade.

During the discussion of priority Black Sea projects, the Prime Minister noted that these projects would further deepen the relations between the European Union and the South Caucasus region and bring the European integration process of Georgia to a qualitatively new level.

According to a press release from the government, it was noted at the meeting that Georgia, due to its strategic location, can play an important role in diversifying transport routes and ensuring energy supply to Europe."

Meeting with President Zourabichvili

Moreover, Olivér Várhelyi met also with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, the Press Office of the Georgian President reported. 

The parties addressed problems about Georgia's European perspective by giving the country candidate status and carrying out the European Commission's recommendations. They emphasized the significance of eradicating divisiveness in this situation. The parties also discussed the importance of the Black Sea as a bridge between Europe and Asia, the security situation there, and Russia's aggression towards Ukraine. According to the President's Administration, Georgia's enormous potential in developing the infrastructural, energy, and transport corridors linking to Europe was also discussed.

Additionally, it stated that the European Commissioner's visit to Georgia was intended to help Georgia with its EU integration. Following the meeting with President Zourabichvili, Olivér Várhelyi tweeted, "The EU is looking forward to welcoming Georgia into our European family. We support Georgia to meet its commitments to the 12 priorities."