The Chair of the Diaspora and Caucasus Issues Committee, Beka Odisharia, along with members of the Friendship Group with the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, Nodar Turdzeladze, Gela Samkharauli, David Katcharava, and Levan Mgaloblishvili, held a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia, Didzis Šmits, as part of their official visit.

During the meeting, the topic of granting Georgia EU candidacy status was discussed. Minister Didzis Šmits, a member of the Latvian government, expressed his strong support for Georgia"s integration into the European Union and affirmed his full readiness to actively participate in consultations related to this process.

“The friendship between Latvia and Georgia is deeply rooted in our shared values of freedom and independence. While Georgia has achieved membership in the European Union, we are still eagerly awaiting this long-awaited moment. We greatly appreciate your support in our journey towards EU integration. Georgia has always been an integral part of Europe, and our commitment to building a democratic state remains unwavering. It is with great pride that I have served as the honorary consul of Latvia in Georgia for the past nine years. I am dedicated to fostering even closer ties between our countries and peoples”, - said Odisharia.

During the meeting, the Georgian side highlighted the remarkable progress made by the Georgian government on the path to European Union integration. Despite the global pandemic, Georgia has achieved an impressive double-digit economic growth of 10%. Forecasts from the IMF and World Bank indicate that Georgia will continue to experience one of the highest economic growth rates in the region and across Europe. The discussion also centered on the agricultural cooperation between Georgia and Latvia.

The annual participation of Georgia in the international exhibition "Riga Food" held in Riga since 2016 was highlighted. In 2022, approximately 20 Georgian agricultural companies showcased their products at the exhibition. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the ministries of agriculture of both countries within this platform, aiming to strengthen and develop agricultural relations between Georgia and Latvia.

Towards the end of the meeting, Beka Odisharia congratulated the participants on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Latvia and Georgia. The Georgian Ambassador to Latvia, Irakli Kurashvili, and Senior Counselor of the Embassy, Mikheil Sulaberidze, were also in attendance. The Friendship Group remains committed to its agenda, with planned meetings with the friendship group, chairpersons of sectoral committees, and other high-ranking officials in the Latvian Saeima.