During the visit to Tbilisi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius held meetings with the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze. The meetings discussed bilateral relations, the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, and Georgia’s aspirations to join NATO and the EU.

Linkevičius offered that the President and the Prime Minister of Georgia should sign a joint declaration of Georgia’s two political forces, which had conflicting political views. The declaration must contain a clear evaluation of the country’s European integration and transatlantic aspirations.

Both the President and the Prime Minister of Georgia immediately after meeting with Linkevičius announced their intentions to sign the declaration.

The Lithuanian Foreign Minister reiterated support for Georgia’s aspirations to join NATO and the EU, but stressed the need to ensure the irreversibility of the country’s European integration and transatlantic processes.

Linkevičius was glad that despite the internal political disagreements, negotiations for an EU-Georgia Association Agreement, including the deep and comprehensive free trade part as well as the visa dialogue with Georgia, were characterised by good progress.