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On 9 May, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with Temur Iakobashvili, the Georgian State Minister on Reintegration Issues.
During the meeting, Minister Iakobashvili briefed the Foreign Minister on the latest developments in Georgia and the opinion of the Georgian government about the situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Minister Riekstins commended the initiatives from the Georgian side for a peaceful resolution of the conflicts of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also expressed support for the territorial integrity of Georgia and noted that he backs more extensive EU involvement in resolving the frozen conflicts in Georgia. That is why the visit by a number of EU foreign ministers to Georgia, due to take place at the beginning of the coming week, is of such significance. During the visit, the ministers plan to acquaint themselves with the local situation and to meet with Georgian officials.
Concerning Georgia's foreign policy objectives, Minister Riekstins emphasised that at present, it is important for the parliamentary elections, which are to take place on 21 May, to be democratic and to be held in line with international standards. "Successful parliamentary elections will be a crucial criterion for Georgia's reform process on its course towards NATO," notes the Foreign Minister.
At the close of the conversation, the officials talked about the successful co-operation between Latvian and Georgian central election commissions and a social integration project in Georgia, planned to be implemented within the European Commission project framework.
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