The visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Greece continues. Within the framework of the Delphi Forum, Georgia’s top diplomat participated in a working session titled: “Protection Provided by Enlargement: Security as a New Pillar of Accession”.

In her speech, Maka Botchorishvili noted that “EU security cannot be ensured without peace and stability in its neighborhood”. She devoted a significant part of her speech to the process of Georgia’s European integration.

The Minister also focused on the security challenges facing Georgia, including the Russian occupation of Georgian regions and the difficult geopolitical environment.

“When talking about European security, we should not separate the EU and its non-member countries, because we share common needs and security interests. If we look at the events of 2008 and earlier in Georgia, as well as the impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine on the European security architecture, it becomes clear that EU security cannot be ensured without peace and stability in its neighborhood. At the same time, Georgia's security cannot be considered independently of EU security. Today, security no longer implies only military force and capabilities; the understanding of security necessarily includes economic resilience, connectivity, and sustainable development. If we look at the map, we see a faint but critically important line for Europe that passes through the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus.

This is a vital region for European security; this is exactly how we see it, as we consider ourselves part of the European security architecture. Enlargement is a geopolitical process and a necessity. It must not fall victim to narrow bureaucratic approaches, as this would damage its core idea. Enlargement is not an end in itself - it is a tool we use to achieve something more significant: ensuring common security and peace. Despite an extremely difficult geopolitical environment, we have managed to maintain peace and stability in the country and protect democratic institutions amidst numerous attacks, while also ensuring sustainable development through stable economic growth.

We continue to work on development and reforms that are essential for the country to finally create a solid foundation for EU membership, which is the choice of Georgia and the Georgian people”, - said Maka Botchorishvili.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, former European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, and the Foreign Minister of Moldova are also in Delphi. Prior to the working dinner, a communication took place between Maka Botchorishvili and Marta Kos.