Polish president holds talks with Georgian counterpart in Warsaw

The talks are to focus on security and economic partnership and Georgia’s aspirations to join the European Union and NATO.

Margvelashvili will also meet other Polish officials, including Prime Minister Beata Szydło, lower house Speaker Marek Kuchciński and Senate Speaker Stanisław Karczewski.

“Poland advocates an open-door policy for countries that strive for membership [in the European bloc and the North Atlantic alliance], two key international organisations,” presidential aide Krzysztof Szczerski said ahead of the visit. “Poland therefore supports Georgia in implementing an association agreement with the EU and military collaboration with NATO,” he added.

The talks come ahead of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels in November, where Georgia’s and five other states’ prospective membership in the European Union will be one of the key topics addressed at the gathering.

Political contacts between Poland and Georgia are to set the stage for stronger bilateral economic collaboration, Szczerski said, adding that “economic decisions and entrepreneurial initiatives should follow suit.”

According to Poland's finance ministry, trade between Poland and Georgia reached USD 126 million (PLN 460 million) in 2016 -- the figure marks a 3.5-percent year-on-year drop.

Polish exports to Georgia, which went up by 30 percent last year, totalled USD 113 million in 2016.

The presidential visit is the third meeting between Giorgi Margvelashvili and Andrzej Duda within the last six months. The Polish president paid a visit to Georgia in May while the Georgian leader attended the Economic Forum in the southern Polish town of Krynica in September. (aba/vb/pk)

Source: IAR