The FINANCIAL — “Germany was the first to recognize Georgia’s independence in April 1992 and to open its embassy in Tbilisi. Since then on, and also before that, Georgian people have always been oriented towards Europe, in contrast to those within Europe who are skeptical about the European unity. We live in a time when Europe is more valued from the outside than from the inside. Therefore, we support Georgia’s rapprochement with the EU and appreciate Georgia’s tremendous reform efforts on this path – German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel said during the joint press conference with his Georgia counterpart Mikheil Janelidze.
According to Sigmar Gabriel granting of visa-free travel to Georgian citizens is a common success of Georgia and the EU.
The German Foreign Minister expressed his gratitude for Georgia’s participation in international peacekeeping missions singling out for special mention the bravery of Georgian soldiers serving at the Mazar-i-Sharif military base in Afghanistan “Many in Germany do not know that Georgian soldiers were the first to assist German citizens during the terrorist assault against the German consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif. We in Germany often forget that we also need assistance in difficult times and I am happy that this assistance came from Georgia” – Sigmar Gabriel said.
The German Foreign Minister also highlighted the importance of the Georgian-German year which will last for 18 months, instead of 12 and will comprise over 130 joint meetings and projects. “This will make clear how rich and diverse our relations are. A very eventful year is ahead of us” – Sigmar Gabriel said.
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