Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili thanked Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić for his warm hospitality during a joint briefing in Belgrade, while addressing the current state of Georgian-Serbian relations and Georgia’s ties with the European Union.

Expressing gratitude for the invitation, President Kavelashvili described Serbia as a country close to the hearts of Georgians and said he was pleased to be visiting at the presidential level for the first time since diplomatic relations were established 30 years ago. He emphasized that this visit should further strengthen bilateral ties.

“Our countries’ diplomatic relations have a history of three decades, and it is noteworthy that this is my first visit at the presidential level,” Kavelashvili said. “These relations should be further deepened. I am confident that the upcoming commission meeting on trade and economic cooperation will address many important issues for both nations.”

The Georgian president noted that discussions also covered cooperation in education and youth exchanges, as well as shared experiences in relations with the European Union.

Turning to Georgia’s EU relations, President Kavelashvili stated that ties with the bloc are currently unsatisfactory, attributing this to what he described as an often unjust attitude from EU bureaucratic leadership toward Georgia. He added that the application of double standards is an experience familiar to Serbia as well.

“Both our society and the international community recognize that relations between Georgia and the European Union are far from satisfactory,” he said. “The attitude often shown by EU bureaucratic leaders toward our country is unjust. Double standards are frequently applied, and this is not new for our friendly state, Serbia.”

President Kavelashvili reaffirmed that Georgia’s aspiration to join the European Union is firmly grounded in the core principles and values that Europe has developed over centuries. He highlighted Georgia’s peaceful nature and its strong performance in international rankings related to economic development, transparency, and the judicial system.

“Europe is an attractive region for all countries, and its history creates the expectation of fairness,” he said. “Our desire to join the European Union is based on those just values that Europe represents. We hope that the EU bureaucracy will act as a worthy successor to that Europe of values and principles.”

Concluding his remarks, President Kavelashvili stressed Georgia’s readiness for dialogue and cooperation with the European Union, emphasizing openness and fairness as essential conditions for progress.

“Dialogue with the European Union is one of the most important issues for us, and we are always ready for it,” he stated. “We remain open and committed to cooperation so that relations between Georgia and European countries can move forward.”