The interim online meeting of UK-Georgia “Wardrop Strategic Dialogue” was held

On 3 June, the interim online meeting within Georgia-UK “Wardrop Strategic Dialogue” was held, aiming to look ahead the traditional annual plenary session.

The meeting was chaired by Nino Baratashvili, Director of the Europe Department at the MFA of Georgia and Bilal Zahid, Additional Director of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate of the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The online meeting was held with the active engagement of the Embassy of Georgia to the United Kingdom and the British Embassy in Georgia.

The parties expressed satisfaction with the intensive dynamics of the strategic partnership between the two countries, both in bilateral and multilateral formats. Special attention was paid to the importance of dialogue which is the main platform for developing strategic political, defence and security, economic and commercial, cultural, educational and people-to-people ties and signing of the Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Georgia and the UK on 21 October 2019 in London at the Ministerial meeting. 

The participants of the meeting reviewed the current dynamics within the four pillars of the dialogue, exchanged views on the intensive bilateral agenda and agreed on the key issues that will be reflected in the seventh round in September 2020.

The UK side praised the Government of Georgia’s efforts in response to COVID-19. For its part, the Georgian side welcomed the UK’s leading role in the process of developing the vaccine.

Speaking about the post-pandemic plans, the Georgian side underlined that Georgia is preparing for welcoming foreign tourists as of 1 July, in compliance with the relevant international recommendations and the so-called through safe corridors, which will allow visitors to travel safely to Georgia.