Press release, 14 March 2013
Vydas Gedvilas, Speaker of the Seimas, met with the Georgian Delegation led by Zurab Abashidze, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia. The meeting focused on bilateral relations, parliamentary cooperation and the upcoming Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The Speaker of the Seimas reviewed the Lithuanian Presidency priorities and noted that much attention will be paid to the Eastern Partnership issues. In November, Vilnius will host the European Union’s Eastern Partnership summit. Prior to the summit, a lot of progress is expected to be reached in negotiations with the European Union on association agreements allowing for further economic and political rapprochement of Eastern Partnership countries, including Georgia, with the EU. “With this view in mind, we call on the main political forces in Georgia to pool their efforts and work together,” Mr Gedvilas said.
Mr Abashidze reviewed the political situation in Georgia and thanked Lithuania for the support to Georgia’s aspirations to EU and NATO integration and the country’s territorial integrity. The Deputy Chairman of the Georgian Parliament invited the Speaker of the Seimas for an official visit to Georgia.
During the meeting, Zita Žvikienė, Chair of the Group for Inter-parliamentary Relations with Georgia, who also attended the meeting, stressed that the Group under her leadership is the largest in the Seimas and consists of 58 MPs who look forward to contribute to the development of parliamentary relations between Lithuania and Georgia.
The meeting was also attended by Vytautas Gapšys, First Deputy Speaker, Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker and Chair of the Committee on European Affairs, and Audronius Ažubalis, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The Georgian parliamentary delegation also met with Valentinas Bukauskas, Chair of the Committee on State Administration and Local Authorities, and the Committee members. During the meeting, the parties shared experience on local government and regional policy and discussed prospects for further partnership and cooperation between the Committee of the Seimas and the Regional Policy and Self-Government Committee of the Parliament of Georgia.
On 13-15 March 2013, Lithuania hosted the Georgian parliamentary delegation consisting of Zurab Abashidze, Deputy Chairman of the Georgian Parliament, Erekle Tripolski, Chairman of the Regional Policy and Self-Government Committee, Gia Jorjoliani, First Deputy Chairman of the Regional Policy and Self-Government Committee, Zakaria Kutsnashvili, Member of the Legal Issues Committee, and Nodar Ebanoidze, First Deputy Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee.
Photo: Zurab Abashidze, with the Georgian Delegation, standing to the right of Vydas Gedvilas, Speaker of the Seimas. Photo by Olga Posaškova, Office of the Seimas
The Georgian Delegation meets the Seimas Committee on State Administration and Local Authorities. Photo by Olga Posaškova, Office of the Seimas
Asta Markevičienė, Public Relations Unit, tel: +370 5 239 6202, e-mail: [email protected]
