site.btaForeign Minister Pledges Sofia's Continued Support for Tbilisi on EU Integration Path

Bulgaria will continue supporting Georgia on its European integration path, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel told a briefing here on Friday after a meeting with her Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili. He is paying a working visit to Sofia, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Ministry reported.

Gabriel noted that this is the first visit of a Georgian Foreign Minister in ten years. The visit takes place at a particularly important moment for Georgia against the backdrop of the Georgian government and society's big ambitions for the country's European and Euro-Atlantic integration. As a member of the EU and NATO, Bulgaria understands well the importance of the present moment for its Georgian partners and consistently supports Georgia's geopolitical choice, Gabriel noted. "The two countries have built long-standing historical and cultural ties, and our peoples share common values and goals," she added.

Bulgaria supports unconditionally Georgia's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in its internationally recognized borders, Gabriel said further. We strongly condemn the continuing illegal occupation by the Russian Federation of the Georgian territories and Abkhazia, Tskhinvali, South Ossetia.

During their meeting, the two foreign ministers discussed Georgia's important role for the security and stability of the Black Sea region, including in the current difficult geopolitical context, Gabriel said. In her words, the role of the EU enlargement policy and NATO's open door policy remain key for achieving security, stability, and lasting socioeconomic progress in the Black Sea region. Bulgaria will continue its consistent support for Georgia in that direction both at the bilateral and multilateral levels.

Gabriel went on to say that the two countries have many common interests when it comes to regional, economic, infrastructural, and digital connectivity. "We will surely work on deepening our cooperation and implementing projects of mutual interest," she noted.

She expressed the Bulgarian government's support for the EU integration of Georgia and said that the Georgian authorities should continue conducting the necessary reforms so that the country's efforts receive recognition as soon as possible.