On April 26-27, 2017, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili held a state visit to the Republic of Romania. Giorgi Kvirikashvili was greeted at Henri Coandă International Airport by his counterpart6, Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu of Romania. The national anthems of the two countries were performed, and the Prime Ministers introduced each other to the members of their respective delegation and Cabinet.
The Georgian delegation included Vice Prime Minister and Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Giorgi Gakharia, State Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Victor Dolidze, Minister of Corrections and Probation Kakha Kakhishvili, Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani, and the Prime Minister's Foreign Advisor Tedo Japaridze.
The state visit of Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili to Bucharest started with a meeting at Victoria Palace hosted by Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu. During the face-to-face meeting, Giorgi Kvirikashvili and Sorin Grindeanu discussed the key directions of Georgia-Romania relations and cooperation. Special attention was paid to the importance of developing both bilateral and wider Black Sea Region trade and economic, energy, and transport communications. The Prime Ministers also discussed the process of Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration and emphasized the success on this path. The Prime Minister of Romania congratulated Giorgi Kvirikashvili on the recent EU/Schengen Area visa waiver for Georgian citizens and reaffirmed Romania's unwavering support for Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili had a meeting with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. During the meeting at Cotroceni Palace, special attention was paid to the need to enhance regional cooperation in order better to use the transit potential of the Black Sea. The Head of Georgian Government and the President of Romania discussed Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration and emphasized the country's achievements on this path. Klaus Iohannis congratulated Giorgi Kvirikashvili on visa-free travel to the Schengen Area for Georgian citizens. Iohannis hopes that visa liberalization will encourage deeper trade and economic relations between Romania and Georgia, closer people-to- people contacts, and active tourism exchanges.
The President of Romania reaffirmed Romania's firm support of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
We are a gateway to Europe just like Georgia is a link connecting to the East, President Liviu Dragnea of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies stated at the opening of his meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. Liviu Dragnea reaffirmed Georgia's strategic role for Romania and emphasized the advancement of the two countries' relations to a higher level of strategic partnership. As it was stated during the meeting, Georgia and Romania are about to take action to reach their declared goals. In particular, working groups will commence activity in the nearest future to discuss the practical implementation of particular transport and infrastructural projects.
As it was emphasized during the meeting, the Governments of the two countries take interest in making full use of the enormous potential in a variety of fields. To this end, the bilateral committee for economic cooperation will intensify its work and business forums for representatives of business will be held in the near future.
During his visit, Giorgi Kvirikashvili held a meeting with President Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu of the Romanian Senate. The parties underlined the importance of Georgia-Romania cooperation advancing to a new level of strategic relations, also emphasizing the joint declaration reflecting strategic cooperation priorities and adopted after the negotiations between the Prime Ministers of the two countries.
"Georgia is an example of effectively conducting political and economic reforms, and I am very happy. Romania is one of the countries that have supported Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations," Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu stated during the meeting.
Special emphasis was placed on the importance of developing cooperation between the two countries' legislative bodies and the need to facilitate high-level meetings.
Georgia-Romania cooperation advances to a new level of strategic relations, the Prime Ministers of Georgia and Romania summarized their negotiations. Together with his Romanian counterpart, the Prime Minister of Georgia, as part of his state visit to Bucharest attended an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of Georgia-Romania diplomatic relations. The Prime Ministers stressed the importance of the Georgian delegation's visit and expressed commitment to promoting further deepening of cooperation that advance to a new level of strategic relations.
Prime Minister's Press Office