Within the framework of the meeting of GUAM countries in Chisinau, Moldova, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Mamuka Bakhtadze was hosted by his Moldovan counterpart Pavel Filip, GeorgiaToday reports.
The parties discussed the issues of empowering the role of GUAM, further deepening bilateral relations, and common challenges. The parties also underlined the importance of joint efforts in dealing with common challenges.
After the face-to-face conversation, the meeting between the Prime Ministers of Georgia and Moldova continued in a wider format with the participation of the two countries' Cabinet members.
The parties reaffirmed their commitment to the full utilization of the potential in their bilateral relations and agreed to step up cooperation in various fields.
The Prime Ministers also held a joint press conference. According to Bakhtadze, Georgia and Moldova productively cooperate in every field serving common national interests.
“There is a clear desire of both sides to use the existing potential of our countries and to advance trade and economic cooperation. In this context, I would like to highlight the significance of the first meeting of the Georgian-Moldovan intergovernmental economic commission held in Tbilisi, in 2017. We have agreed to hold the second meeting in the nearest future in Moldova," he stated.
Bakhtadze also commented on the work of the Georgia-Ukraine-Moldova Parliamentary Assembly in Tbilisi, which will become a regular platform for further strengthening the countries' international positions.
“Our countries share common aspirations of the European integration. Becoming a full-fledged member of the European Union is a long declared political priority of Georgia and a clear choice of our citizens,” the PM said, noting that besides common interests, Georgia and Moldova are facing similar challenges, and both countries need strong and unequivocal support for their national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Bakhtadze thanked his Moldovan counterpart for hospitality, for organizing the GUAM Meeting, and productive discussions, also expressing hope that bilateral cooperation will deepen even further.
"GUAM is a platform that we believe to enable us to join efforts and introduce very important initiatives, also to join efforts to counter the challenges facing our countries and nations and to overcome these challenges in a very near future," he underlined.
Pavel Filip spoke about the high level of development in Georgia-Moldova political and economic relations. According to him, the sides discussed cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats.
Filip thanked Bakhtadze for upholding resolutions in support of Moldova.
"We support each other on the path to European integration. Our common path to the EU helps us deepen our relations and suffusing them with greater meaning. We also discussed the conflicts. Moldova supports Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and our stance was reciprocated by Mr. Prime Minister in relation to Moldova's territorial integrity," he added.