The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia took part in a working session entitled “The Shield of Enlargement: Security as the New Accession Pillar” at the Delphi Economic Forum, currently underway in the Hellenic Republic.

In her address, Maka Botchorishvili stressed that the enlargement process must be viewed through a broad geopolitical lens: “Enlargement is a geopolitical process, and a geopolitical necessity. It must not become a casualty of narrow bureaucratic approaches, for that would undermine its very purpose. Enlargement is not an end in itself; it is an instrument we employ in pursuit of something far greater: the assurance of shared security and peace”.

She also drew attention to the security challenges facing Georgia, among them the Russian occupation and the deeply complex geopolitical environment in which the country finds itself.

“Despite an extraordinarily difficult geopolitical environment, we have succeeded in preserving peace and stability within the country, in safeguarding democratic institutions in the face of repeated assaults upon them, and in sustaining consistent development, which is to say, stable economic growth”, - said Maka Botchorishvili.

She affirmed that Georgia would continue to take the necessary steps to lay firm foundations for its accession to the EU: “We continue to pursue the development and reforms that matter to our country, so that a solid foundation for EU membership may ultimately be established, for that is the choice of Georgia and of the Georgian people”.