On 26 October, Georgia and Germany announced the creation of a forum that aims to strengthen political, education, economic and cultural ties between the two countries. The forum also aims to promote exchange programmes between students and support science and educational connections.
“In times when everything is increasingly diverging, it is all the more important to develop joint initiatives. With the forum we want to encourage encounters between people from Germany and Georgia [to] stimulate and promote cultural, political and scientific levels. Schools, universities, political institutions can benefit here just as much as the economy. The association supports the establishment of networks and creates new synergies from which both nations benefit,” stated the chairman of the forum and German parliamentarian Axel Fischer (Christian Democratic Union, CDU). Besides Fischer, other members of the board include: Svenja Stadler (Social Democratic Party, SPD), Tobias Lindner (Greens), Otto Fricke (Free Democratic party (FDP)), Olav Gutting (CDU), Marten von Marschall (CDU) and Josef Riff (CDU).
Germany was the first country in the EU to recognise Georgia under international law after it gained independence in 1991. Within the EU, Germany advocates for closer ties with Georgia. Germany actively supported the inclusion of Georgia in the Eastern Partnership and, together with France, pushed for the signing of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement. Germany also supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and is actively involved in the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM).
In terms of economic cooperation, an agreement on the promotion and mutual protection of investments (1998) and a double taxation agreement (2007) form the basis for bilateral economic exchange between the two countries. The German government also promotes regional integration in the region through its Caucasus Initiative, which is conducted as part of German development cooperation. The priority areas are the environment and energy, sustainable economic development, democracy, and municipal development and the rule of law.
