Slovakia supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, within its internationally recognized borders. Richard Raši, Speaker of the Slovak Parliament, said this at a briefing with his Georgian counterpart, Shalva Papuashvili.

“Let me share the main points of our discussion. First, Slovakia strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, within its internationally recognised borders. In a time when the territorial integrity of many countries is being challenged, it is important to reaffirm that Slovakia will continue to support Georgia’s territorial integrity.

We also met to strengthen and improve parliamentary cooperation. There are many areas where we can exchange experience and collaborate, particularly on Georgia’s accession process and European Union integration.

Georgia is a key strategic transport corridor. We may not always realise the importance of specific routes for energy resources and secure passage. I want to thank Georgia for its effective efforts in diversifying energy sources, especially given the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Georgia will remain a vital transport hub.

Georgia benefits from various grant schemes, and there will be cooperation worth one million euros between Slovakia and Georgia. It remains a priority in our development aid. Our relations are active and meaningful, not only because of the previous visit of President [Mikheil Kavelashvili] but also due to visits by several ministers. We established an intergovernmental commission for cooperation.

Thanks to direct flights between Slovakia and Georgia, our relationship is entering a new phase. Tourists, including skiers, visit Georgian resorts, and Georgian citizens find it easier to travel to Slovakia. We have special programmes to encourage Georgian students, there is significant potential to deepen our ties.

We discussed cooperation in culture, which is a shared area of mutual exchange. We also see opportunities to collaborate on youth initiatives, including youth parliaments and educational programmes for secondary school students. I hope we will develop exchanges where Slovak students can witness the functioning of the Georgian Parliament.

We also reflected on the journey towards EU integration. We reviewed all the necessary stages required for accession and shared our experience at an expert level, highlighting what was genuinely needed to become a member of the EU.

Slovakia’s official stance is that maintaining a strategic dialogue is essential. We want to support Georgia in all areas relevant to EU accession. We believe dialogue, not sanctions, is the best way forward. Sanctions harm ordinary people, while dialogue fosters progress… I want to affirm Slovakia’s commitment to supporting Georgia. We aim to enhance cooperation across cultural, youth, and economic spheres, and to continue developing our relations”, - said Richard Raši.