Georgian Foreign Minister Visits United Kingdom

On December 14-16 the Georgian Foreign Minister, Grigol Vashadze, paid a working visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Vashadze met the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary, William Hague, on December 15, and also met the Minister of State for Europe and NATO, David Lidington and other official persons. As Georgia’s MFA reports a wide range of issues concerning bilateral and multilateral relations between Georgia and the United Kingdom were discussed. The Georgian Foreign Minister thanked the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary for his government's bilateral and international support for Georgia. For his part, the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary reaffirmed his government's unequivocal support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and emphasized the importance of the Georgian contingent's contribution to the NATO-led ISAF operation and positively appraised the recent political and economic reforms in Georgia. During the meetings in the United Kingdom, the sides discussed priority directions of bilateral as well as multilateral co-operation between Georgia and the United Kingdom, including Georgia's integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures and the key issue of co-operation within international organizations. Vashadze briefed the British side on ongoing democratic processes in Georgia, economic reforms, the situation in Georgia's occupied territories and on the state of affairs in the region. The British delegation was informed of the situation in Georgia's occupied territories. A detailed survey was made of matters for co-operation within the framework of international organizations with a focus on the importance of holding regular bilateral political consultation.