BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 30
By Tamilla Mammadova - Trend:
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and European Council President Charles Michel held a telephone conversation, Trend reports referring to the press service of the government administration.
The prime minister thanked the president of the European Council for the assistance rendered to Georgia by the European Union (EU) amid coronavirus pandemic.
Special attention was paid to economic cooperation. The parties noted that it is important for the economies of both EU member states and Georgia to quickly return to pre-pandemic levels and that Georgia and the European Union continue to actively cooperate in this regard.
Gakharia stated that the Georgian authorities are actively working to restore the country's economy and minimize the negative economic consequences of the pandemic with the support of Western partners and international financial institutions.
The parties discussed Georgia's European aspirations and the upcoming Eastern Partnership summit. The importance of holding the summit during this year and the need to continue close bilateral communication in order to set specific objectives in terms of the European integration of Eastern Partnership countries was stressed. It was noted that Georgia has a good basis for taking further steps towards deepening cooperation with the European Union under the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Georgia.
The parties also touched upon the role and importance of the Black Sea in developing transportation and communication ties between Georgia and the European Union.
The prime minister of Georgia and the president of the European Council reaffirmed their readiness to discuss all the main items on the agenda of bilateral cooperation during a face-to-face meeting, which will take place in Brussels within the EU summit after the global pandemic ends.
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