ILIA DARCHIASHVILI HAS MET WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PARLIAMENTS OF THE WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES

The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Darchiashvili, held a meeting with the chairmen of the European integration committees of the parliaments of the Western Balkan countries and representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, who are in Tbilisi within the framework of the first inter-parliamentary conference of Georgia and the Western Balkan countries on European integration issues.

At the meeting, the sides discussed the common interests and efforts of our countries in the context of EU enlargement. The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia provided information about Georgia's progress in the context of European integration. It was noted that after receiving the status of a candidate country, the next priority of Georgia is the opening of accession negotiations with the European Union, which the country is actively working on, including by implementing the relevant steps determined for Georgia by the European Commission. Ilia Darchiashvili emphasized the importance of partnership relations with the Balkan countries at the governmental level in terms of European integration.

In turn, the guests spoke about the experiences of their countries, especially the role of national parliaments in the European integration process. The sides welcomed the already existing dynamics of cooperation between Georgia and the Western Balkan countries in various formats, which are becoming more and more intense.

Strengthening cooperation with the countries of the Balkan region on the issue of European integration is one of the important directions.