2018-02-17
"The relations between America and Georgia are on a very high level, we cherish this and we must keep going forward. We had a number of very interesting meetings during the Munich Security Conference. Together with the US Secretary of Defense, we discussed in detail our ongoing cooperation with the United States. Mr. Mattis has pledged that our relations will intensify even further. It is very important that we are cooperating under the NATO Substantial Package, on one hand, while running together with the US the Georgian Defense Readiness Program, on the other, which is very important to our country. We expressed our gratitude for the invaluable support of our territorial integrity and sovereignty and Georgia's NATO membership and European integration.
We also had meetings with the European Commissioner and representatives of the business community. The executives of large companies joined us in very exciting discussions about the opportunities Georgia has to offer. A keen interest was expressed, and I am convinced that many of them will visit Georgia in the nearest future.
Tonight, we are having a very important meeting to discuss our politics and, at the same time, hold an inaugural meeting, as it were, ahead of Georgia's participation in the Frankfurt Book Fair as Guest of Honor. It is a way of showcasing our country and our culture, not just literature. We believe that everyone in Europe shares the view about Georgia being on the right track, with a number of crucially important reforms implemented in our country and equally significant steps taken. People are taking growing interest in our state of affairs and issues we are facing, and they are expressing equally growing support. I am convinced that we will witness a significant growth in the economic presence of European companies in Georgia. It will be so, and I am sure these meetings will serve as a good example.
Our every meeting without exception discussed the situation in the occupied territories, and human rights violations there. Generally, the problem of our occupation and the state of affairs in the region-in both Georgian and Ukrainian contexts-is detrimental to regional security as a whole, and we are actively discussing this issue with all our friends. The support Georgia enjoys today is a result of these discussions and a demonstration of support of Georgia's foreign trajectory, regional stability, and so on. I believe that this year's Munich Security Conference has proved very important, and I have no doubt that the conference will bring about very concrete positive results for Georgia."