MaltaMedia.com

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Tonio Borg today signed two agreements with Georgia during an official visit to Malta by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Gregory Vashadze. The agreements signed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cover a Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia; and an Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Government of Malta on Cooperation in the Fields of Education, Science and Culture.

This is the fourth agreement signed this week after the signing of another two agreements with Egypt. The Government of Malta during the past two years signed a total of 85 agreements.

Addressing the media, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Tonio Borg said that time has come to concretely build upon a positive bi-lateral scenario, and the visit by the Georgian Foreign Minister will serve as an opportunity to further enhance Malta’s and Georgia’s bilateral relations.

Dr Borg said that the Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations is a first step towards further enhancing relations between the two countries. The ultimate aim of this Memorandum of Understanding should be to seek an approximation of positions through regular consultations to discuss bilateral issues as well as regional and international problems. Dr Borg said that the strengthening of co-operation and understanding between Malta and Georgia will contribute to enhance peace, security and stability in the Mediterranean basin and international peace and security in general.

As regards to trade and investment, Dr Tonio Borg said that Malta is willing to strengthen bi-lateral economic relations with Georgia. He mentioned the signing of the Double Taxation Agreement in October 2009, and said that this should serve a springboard for future agreements facilitating business and creating new employment opportunities.

Speaking on the political relations, Foreign Minister Borg said that in various international fora, Malta has reiterated its support for the respect of the territorial integrity of Georgia. He said that a peaceful resolution to the frozen conflicts remains the main goal in the EU’s policy.

With regards to the European Union, the Deputy Prime Minister said that Malta was all in favour of enlargement but every applicant would need to satisfy the established EU criteria. Dr Borg recalled that Malta took years to become an EU member.

Dr Borg said that Malta welcomes the strengthening of EU-Georgia relations. Malta feels that the enhancement of relations between the Union and Georgia can serve as an instrument for enhanced stability not only in Georgia, but also in the neighbouring region. It is therefore essential that these relations continue to be enhanced through the negotiating of additional agreements, encompassing as wide an array as possible, between both sides. Georgia’s path towards European integration can be an added value to the European Union’s vision of strengthening its presence on the international scene.