Georgia strengthens ties with Norway
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, September 7
Georgia can count on the support of Norway in the context of the NATO Warsaw summit next year, Norway’s Foreign Minister Borge Brende stated during his first visit in Georgia.
Brende paid his official visit to Georgia on September 4 and met with the President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli, the newly-appointed Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and other officials.
The Georgian President thanked Brende for his support of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the European and Euro-Atlantic issues.
On his own, the Norwegian official thanked the Georgian president for Georgia’s contribution to international security, in particular the NATO-led peace missions and reiterated that Norway supports Georgia on its path towards integration in NATO.
At the meeting with Georgian PM, the two sides discussed trade and economic relations, as well as energetic and cultural co-operation potential between Georgia and Norway.
According to Gharibashvili, Norway is a strong partner of Georgia and bilateral cooperation between the countries is developing dynamically.
During his visit, Borde Brende also visited the administrative boundary line with breakaway South Ossetia in the village Khurvaleti, currently occupied by Russia. He said this was his chance to strongly express his country’s full support towards Georgia’s territorial integrity.
Brende said that at a meeting in Copenhagen on September 2-3, Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers reiterated that support for Georgia and its sovereignty is “of utmost importance”.
“You can rely on the support of the Nordic and Baltic countries during the Warsaw summit next year. We are clearly committed to making sure that the NATO-Georgia Commission is strengthened,” he stated.
The Norwegian and Georgian Foreign Ministers signed an agreement to ease visa regulations between the two countries.
Brende said that his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Kvirikashvili will go to Norway for an official visit but he did not specify the date.
According to the Norwegian official, Georgia has made significant progress after making serious reforms.
“I think, it is very impressive what you have achieved with democracy,” Borge Brende stated.
