Portugal and Georgia want to increase tourism between the two countries, and its ministers of foreign affairs on Monday signed an agreement to increase cooperation and reaffirm the Portuguese support to the territorial integrity of that state.
“We have excellent diplomatic and political relations and are increasing our relationships in areas such as economics, culture and education,” said Portugal’s minister Augusto Santos Silva, during the signing ceremony of the agreement.
“Signing this cooperation agreement on tourism is a very important step towards improving our economic relationship,” he said.
“Portugal and Georgia are countries with many natural resources, beautiful landscapes, very important cultural heritages and good quality of people,” he said.
“So, we will now cooperate more in terms of training and development work related to tourism.”
Silva’s counterpart in Georgia, David Zalkaliani, said he was pleased with the agreement, noting that the two countries “have a lot in common” and are “at the opposite ends of Europe.”
The meeting on Monday also allowed Portugal to reaffirm its position in support of Georgia’s claims on the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The two territories self-proclaimed independent in 2008, but most UN countries consider them an integral part of Georgia.
“I would like to reaffirm the Portuguese position in favour of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia,” Silva said.
“And [also] our position which greatly favours the cooperation between Georgia and the European Union and NATO.”
A position commended by Zalkaliani who said that Portugal is “a trusted partner in the international forum.”
According to Zalkaliani, Georgia’s relations with the EU and NATO were also part of the meeting of the two diplomats, noting that Georgia “was never as close” to the EU as it is today.
This year, Georgia celebrates its 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership with the EU – political and economic association with six partners in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus (in addition to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine).
