Alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Katrougalos spoke at the first day of the 14th Batumi International Conference, on the subject of European Energy Security. The Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Georgia, Mikheil Janelidze, the Foreign Minister of Poland, Konrad Szymański, and Georgian Energy Minister Ilia Eloshvili were also participating in the panel.
Mr. Katrougalos pointed out Greece's upgraded role as an energy hub between Asia and Europe, and the importance of energy as a factor for regional security and stability. In this context, he congratulated Georgia on its recent accession to the European Union's Energy Community.
While in Georgia, Mr. Katrougalos met with the Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Georgia, Mikheil Janelidze, the State Minister of Georgia for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Victor Dolidze, and the Deputy Minister for Economy and Development, Genadi Arveladze, who co-chaired the Greek-Georgian Joint Interministerial Committee that convened in Athens in late May.
In these meetings, Mr. Katrougalos stressed that Greece supports Georgia's European perspective, while noting the ties of friendship that have linked our countries since antiquity. He also discussed specific planning for the promotion of bilateral economic cooperation, given that there is a great deal of room for development of economic relations in the sectors of trade, energy, tourism, agriculture and transport.
July 14, 2017