2017-06-16
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili attended today's special reception held at the Embassy of Great Britain to honor the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
"At the outset, permit me to express my sincere deepest condolences regarding the fire at Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, and our prayers are for at least 17 people killed as well as to those people who were desperately seeking news of missing family and friends, also with the victims of the recent attacks on London Bridge and the Borough Market," Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated.
The Prime Minister spoke of the 25th anniversary of relations between the UK and Georgia and emphasized that the UK was one of the first countries to recognize Georgia's independence in April 1992. Giorgi Kvirikashvili called to mind the brief diplomatic rendezvous between the two countries in 1919-1921, when Lord Curzon offered Sir Oliver Wardrop to take up the posting of the first British Chief Commissioner of Transcaucasia in Tbilisi. The Prime Minister also underlined the Georgian people's appreciation for the Wardrops who promoted Georgian culture in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
"They befriended Ilia Chavchavadze and other leaders of Georgia's intellectual revival of that time. At the inaugural session of the UK-Georgia bilateral meeting in 2014, we decided symbolically to call it the Wardrop Dialogue-upgraded to the Wardrop Strategic Dialogue last year-to discuss a wide range of issues: foreign policy, national security, defense, commerce, economy and energy.
Yes, the strategic partnership between our countries covers various fields:
Georgian and British soldiers fight side by side in the NATO resolute support mission, and we are very proud of this;
For more than 20 years, British Petroleum has been active here, contributing to the major geopolitical project for Georgia, the East-West energy corridor," the Prime Minister said.
In addition, Giorgi Kvirikashvili singled out UK financing for such important education programs as Chevening, John Smith Fellowship, and others.
The Head of Georgian Government also thanked the British Good Governance Fund for supporting Georgia in building up its strategic communications capabilities, with the aim to support economic reforms and good governance in Eastern neighbourhood countries. In doing so, the United Kingdom facilitates regional stability and prosperity in Georgia.
The special reception honoring the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II was attended by representatives of Georgia's executive and legislative, civil society, the diplomatic corps, and international organizations.
Prime Minister's Press Office