Policy paper

UK-Georgia Wardrop Strategic Dialogue 2023: joint communiqué

Published 14 February 2023

On 26 January 2023, the eighth round of the Wardrop Strategic Dialogue was held in London. HE Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs the Rt Hon James Cleverly MP and HE the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili, led the Dialogue.

In a bilateral meeting, the Ministers reiterated their commitment to a strategic partnership, based on vibrant bilateral and multilateral cooperation, ranging from political dialogue, to defence and security, economics and trade, educational, cultural and people-to-people dimensions.

It was noted that this round took place during turbulent times as Europe united to confront an unprecedented challenge to its security architecture. The parties stressed their strong partnership bonds in the face of this continuing threat.

Summary

Both sides underlined the special importance of the Annual Wardrop Strategic Dialogue, which reflects the comprehensive nature of the bilateral agenda between the United Kingdom and Georgia encompassing a wide range of issues. They exchanged views on the progress made since the last virtual round of the Dialogue on 9 September 2020. The discussions focused on political, defence and security policy spheres as well as the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its implications. The two sides also discussed current developments in both countries; regional and global political and security challenges and ways to address them; multilateral cooperation; and other international priorities. They reaffirmed their commitment to shared values and common interests, which lie at the heart of the partnership.

The heads of the UK and Georgian delegations pledged to deepen the strategic partnership and underlined their readiness to uphold the rules-based international system to address global challenges and foster a fairer, more secure, more sustainable and more prosperous future for both nations.

Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic membership goals were one of the topics of the meeting. The UK welcomed the European Council decision of June 2022 recognising the European perspective of Georgia. Both sides underscored that Georgia’s EU membership application marked a key milestone in EU-Georgia relations, supported by the overwhelming majority of the population of the country. The UK welcomed the Government of Georgia’s commitment to further reforms in pursuit of that goal. The UK reiterated its commitment to the NATO Tailored Support Package for Georgia and confirmed its support for the NATO 2022 Strategic Concept. The UK stands steadfast behind the 2008 Bucharest Summit declaration; that Georgia will become a member of NATO. It was welcome that the Declaration was reaffirmed at subsequent NATO summits and ministers meetings, as well as other decisions made in recent years on Georgia. The UK acknowledged Georgia’s strong and valuable contribution to international security, including its track record of enhancing Euro-Atlantic security through, inter alia Georgia’s past, present and future input, such as the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, Operation SEA GUARDIAN, and the NATO Mission in Iraq. The UK firmly recognised Georgia’s valued contribution to Allied efforts aimed at strengthening Black Sea security. Both parties welcomed the development of practical cooperation in this context.

The sides discussed the increasing range of security and defence cooperation between the UK and Georgia, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s Illegal military presence in Georgia and the need for peaceful resolution of the Russia-Georgia conflict, including full implementation of the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement by Russia, return of IDPs and refugees and Georgia’s peace initiatives for engagement with and reconciliation between the divided communities.

Both delegations welcomed the parliamentary dimension of the Wardrop Strategic Dialogue characterised by close links between the two legislative bodies and the contribution this made to the overall dynamic of the UK-Georgia bilateral agenda.

The sides stressed the importance of bolstering economic and trade ties, through utilizing FTA benefits, particularly in light of the impact of the war in Ukraine and as global trade and investment recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both sides highlighted the significance of people-to-people contacts and underlined the very special role of the Chevening scholarship programme and twin cities and educational exchanges in bringing communities together.

During the dialogue, both the UK Georgia Readmissions Agreement and Air Services Agreement were signed.

Ministerial plenary session

In the Ministerial Plenary Session, both sides welcomed the excellent political relations and strategic cooperation that exist between the United Kingdom and Georgia, and which manifest themselves in both bilateral and multilateral fora.

The Ministers reaffirmed the very special role of the Wardrop Strategic Dialogue, which has emerged as the regular format to further expand and deepen bilateral relations. Both sides praised the legacy of Sir Oliver and Marjory Wardrop who laid a foundation to the long-lasting partnership in 1919.

The heads of the UK and Georgian delegations welcomed the 30th anniversary of re-establishment of diplomatic relations celebrated in 2022. The parties reaffirmed the significance of this milestone to further strengthen existing partnership ties. The Ministers exchanged views on the opportunities offered by Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in various realms of mutual interest including free trade arrangements.

Ministers condemned Russia’s premeditated and unjustified full-scale military aggression against Ukraine, which undermines European security and the entire rules-based international order. Both sides recognised the importance of their support for Ukraine. Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilia Darchiashvili stressed that Georgia was the first to experience the consequences of Russia’s aggressive policy ever since gaining its independence in the 1990s, which continued with the full-scale military aggression against Georgia in 2008 and attempts to forcibly change the borders of a sovereign state in Europe.

Minister Darchiashvili underlined the grave security and human rights situation in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia occupied by Russia. In this volatile security environment, he stressed the need for the presence of international security and human rights mechanisms on the ground. The Minister emphasised the importance of the Geneva International Discussions, which is the only format to address Russia’s compliance with its international obligations including full implementation of the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and ensuring the return of IDPs and refugees, to contribute to a lasting settlement of the Russia-Georgia conflict. He expressed particular concerns about Russia’s increased provocations since the last meeting, including illegal detentions and illegal ‘borderization’, which have severe impact on the humanitarian conditions of the conflict-affected people. In this regard, he stressed the utmost importance of maintaining the practice of reflecting the human rights situation in these regions in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) annual Human Rights and Democracy report. He reaffirmed Georgia’s unwavering commitment to a peaceful conflict resolution policy. He also underlined the necessity of strong international support to achieve the lasting settlement of the Russia-Georgia conflict.

Minister Darchiashvili conveyed appreciation for the UK’s support for and contribution to the peaceful conflict resolution process, and expressed hope that the UK would further enhance its engagement for ensuring peace and security in Georgia and thus the wider Black Sea region in 2023. He thanked the UK for supportive messages on the 14th anniversary of the Russia-Georgia war of 2008, including the UNSC AOB session on 15 August 2022, and the UK’s continuing support for statements, decisions and resolutions in relevant international organisations.

In particular, the Minister underlined the UK’s continuous support with regard to the UN General Assembly annual resolution ‘Status of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, Georgia’, and the annual UN Human Rights Council resolution on ‘Cooperation with Georgia’ highlighting the increased support for both resolutions in 2022.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia expressed gratitude for the UK’s continuous support within the Council of Europe (CoE), including with regard to decisions “the Council of Europe and the conflict in Georgia”, adopted by the Committee of Ministers’ Deputies, as well as support rendered towards the CoE Secretary General’s consolidated reports on the conflict in Georgia.

The Minister also underlined the UK’s support within the OSCE, including with regard to the ‘Group of Friends’ joint and individual supportive statements at the Ministerial Councils, as well as during other meetings within the OSCE formats.

The Foreign Secretary highlighted the UK’s unwavering support towards Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, the non-recognition policy and the peaceful conflict resolution efforts pursued by the Government of Georgia. He welcomed Georgia’s adherence to the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement between Russia and Georgia and constructive stance in the Geneva International Discussions (GID) and supported further Georgian Government efforts towards reconciliation and engagement with the people living in Georgia’s regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, including its peace initiative ‘A Step to a Better Future’. He condemned the continued illegal military presence of Russia in two Georgian regions and expressed concern over the threat to security and stability in Europe from Russia’s illegal activities.

Both sides also recognised the important role of the GID in implementation of the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and return of IDPs and refugees as well as addressing the security and humanitarian challenges of people affected by the Russia-Georgia conflict , while welcoming the most recent discussions of the GID that took place on 5 October 2022.

While discussing current security challenges, the Georgian side welcomed the UK’s global leadership and flagship role in galvanising international resistance to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which represented a vivid demonstration of Britain’s commitment to the region and global security. The heads of the UK and Georgian delegations exchanged views on the growing importance of the Black Sea from security, economic and energy perspectives. Foreign Minister Darchiashvili stressed the utmost importance of the UK’s even more active engagement in ensuring security and stability across the region.

The discussion also focused on Georgia’s commitment and efforts to contribute to peace and security in the region. The parties exchanged views on Georgia’s ‘Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative’ and its potential to facilitate regional dialogue and enable practical cooperation.

The UK side welcomed the Georgian Government’s commitment to reforms aimed at strengthening democratic institutions, smooth functioning of the market economy, promoting economic growth and resilience and noted the progress that had been recorded to this end. Such reforms constitute an essential component of Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration process. Both sides underscored the importance of fully exploiting the potential of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, including the DCFTA towards achieving gradual integration into the EU through broader convergence with the EU policies and standards. The sides held an exchange on measures taken by Georgia to address the priorities outlined in the European Commission Opinion on Georgia’s EU membership. The Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the UK’s full commitment to Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic membership goals and encouraged Georgia to seize the opportunity to make rapid progress with essential reforms.

Political pillar

In the Political Pillar discussions, British and Georgian representatives discussed domestic developments in both countries, opportunities for increased cooperation under the Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in force since January 2021, and global challenges including responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Both delegations welcomed the cooperation between British and Georgian governments in providing multilateral and humanitarian support to Ukraine. The sides also welcomed the collaboration between the UK and Georgia in the area of climate change during the UK Presidency of COP26 and agreed to continue this co-operation.

The UK side noted Georgia’s progress in advancing democratic consolidation, welcomed the agreement on electoral reform, as well as reforms in other fields, and noted the importance of the continued implementation of this process ahead of the 2024 elections in Georgia. The UK confirmed its commitment to assist the Government of Georgia in its democratic reform agenda. The UK side stressed the importance of having strong independent media and civil society organisations in Georgia, and the significance of upholding the safety of journalists. The UK side outlined that it follows decisions of the courts and encourages Georgia to continue respecting due process and human rights protection in accordance with the highest standards.

The Georgian side provided detailed information on Russia’s destructive actions with regard to the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, the intensified annexation process, illegal military presence and ongoing violations of the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, resulting in further deterioration of the security, humanitarian and human rights situation on the ground. The Georgian side raised particular concerns about Russia’s increased provocations, including ‘borderization’ by erecting barbwire fences and other artificial barriers, the lengthy, sometimes permanent closure of so-called crossing points and restriction of freedom of movement, the increasing number of cases of illegal detentions and kidnappings of the local population, continuous ethnic discrimination against Georgians, prohibition of education in native language and imposing various restrictions preventing the conflict-affected people from access to the most basic necessities.

The UK’s political support in bilateral and multilateral fora was welcomed along with the 2021 FCDO Annual Human Rights Report issued in December 2022, which identifies severe human rights violations in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia.

The Georgian side reconfirmed its commitment to its comprehensive peaceful conflict resolution policy. The Georgian side stressed the importance of the GID in order to address the implementation of the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and find durable solutions on the security and humanitarian challenges stemming from the 2008 Russia-Georgia war and unresolved conflict. The Georgian side emphasised the crucial necessity to ensure proper functioning of Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRM) in accordance with its founding principles and underlined the essential need of the unconditional restoration of Gali IPRM, halted since 2018. The Georgian side reaffirmed its commitment to actively pursue its reconciliation and engagement policy, inter alia through the peace initiative ‘A Step to a Better Future’ and highlighted the importance of further support from the international community in its implementation as well as the overall process of reconciliation and confidence building among the divided communities. The Georgian side welcomed the activities of the UK’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) and expressed appreciation for continuous support to the ‘Peace Fund for a Better Future’.

The UK side reaffirmed its continued commitment to remain vocal in international arenas in support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to maintain its engagement for ensuring peace and security in Georgia, as well as its strong support for and assistance towards reconciliation and engagement initiatives among the divided communities.

Both sides recalled the importance of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Judgment of January 2021 and decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) of June 2022 that legally attested Russia’s occupation and effective control over Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia and established the responsibility of Russia for human rights violations on the ground.

Both sides recognised the importance of continuing to work together in multilateral organisations such as the UN, OSCE and CoE, and in multilateral elections. They agreed to continue exploring all opportunities to further develop cooperation.

The UK side welcomed Georgian support to Ukraine through the UN, OSCE and CoE, humanitarian support to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in Georgia, alongside support for Georgia’s own internally displaced people. Both delegations agreed that continued collaboration was key to supporting Ukraine in 2023.

Defence, security and foreign policy pillar

In the Defence, Security and Foreign Policy Pillar discussions, the delegations exchanged views on ongoing hybrid threats to the region and beyond. They welcomed strong bonds between the Ministries of Defence, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, as well as relevant security and intelligence agencies of the two countries, and stressed the importance of further deepening cooperation on conventional as well as hybrid threats.

The officials welcomed the constructive work by the dedicated cyber leads at the British Embassy in Tbilisi and over £5 million UK funding for cyber capacity building as signals of mutual commitment to ongoing cooperation in cyber security.

The sides discussed intensified cooperation within different NATO frameworks and Georgia’s extensive use of all existing integration and cooperation mechanisms, including the Tailored Support Package (TSP) and Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP), both supported by the UK. The UK highlighted becoming, alongside Romania, the NATO Contact Point Embassy in Georgia, increasing direct collaboration during heightened NATO response. The significance of regular joint military exercises and training was highlighted for promoting and strengthening defensive collaboration and capabilities.

The UK side expressed its gratitude for Georgia’s continuing contribution to international operations, including the evacuation of NATO troops through Georgia’s territory following the end of the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, reaffirmed its strong support to the SNGP and TSP, which is bolstering Georgia’s defence reform and capacity-building efforts, its interoperability with NATO, and Georgia’s resilience; as well as the SNGP’s ongoing refresh process and Georgia’s NATO membership goal.

The sides highlighted Georgia’s efforts towards enhancement of maritime security and emphasised the role of the Joint Maritime Operations Centre (JMOC) in this regard. They also welcomed their mutual commitment to Black Sea security and underlined the significance of close cooperation with NATO’s Allied Maritime Command in Northwood through the embedded Georgian Coast Guard Liaison Officer, together with an ambition for Royal Navy ships to resume port visits to Georgia, when the regional security environment allows.

The discussions underlined the importance of the UK staying engaged in the Black Sea region through continued support for political stability and democratic transformation and to combat Russian aggression in all security domains.

The sides noted the progress achieved in agreeing the text of the draft agreement on the exchange and mutual protection of classified information and expressed readiness to finalise the procedures necessary for its signature. The sides underlined the significance of the document in terms of exchange of classified information in the fields of defence, security and foreign affairs.

Economic and trade pillar

The discussion covered a range of economic and trade issues and opportunities to increase government-to-government cooperation on them in the year ahead. The sides acknowledged that the economic backdrop for the dialogue had changed significantly since the last round in 2020, with recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic on the one hand but the impacts of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on the other.

The sides discussed the existing close cooperation on the implementation of UK and other international sanctions on Russia. The UK side outlined its latest measures to broaden and deepen sanctions, and the impact that robust enforcement by the international community, including by Georgia, was having on the Russian economy. The UK side expressed commitment to continuing to provide Georgia with all information and technical assistance necessary to maintain the sides’ close partnership in sanctions implementation.

The delegations discussed implications of the Ukraine war on regional connectivity. The sides agreed that the Middle Corridor was more important than ever given Russia-Ukraine War. The parties exchanged views on international energy and transportation projects, and on developments in Georgia’s domestic transport and energy market policies, which are having a positive impact on regional and global inter-connectivity. In this context, the Georgian side highlighted the Agreement signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary on the Strategic Partnership in the Field of Green Energy Development and Transmission on 17 December 2022 in Romania. The Georgian side has further highlighted the opportunity for the country as a digital transit corridor to connect Europe-Asia via the shortest route through Georgia and as an attractive location for development of regional data centres. The UK welcomed Georgia’s efforts and underlined the importance of the realisation of the projects.

The UK reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Georgia’s economic development. It was pleased to maintain support for open dialogue between the Government of Georgia and the business community through the Investors’ Council. The Council continues to be an important forum where barriers to investment, including access to specialist commercial legal recourse, could be addressed constructively. The UK side welcomed the post-COVID return to in-person meetings of the Council and looked forward to regular meetings in 2023.

On trade, the sides shared brief information on the implementation of the UK-Georgia Free Trade Agreement that had come into effect in January 2021, and of the work of the Trade Committee and its sub-committees that had met during 2022. They also discussed cooperation on removing barriers to trade, including strong progress on sectors discussed at the last dialogue.

Both delegations highlighted their commitment to increasing the exports of goods and services between the UK and Georgia, and each discussed sectors of national priority in which business links might be facilitated by government-to-government engagement.

People-to-people pillar

Both sides welcomed the strong educational and cultural ties and people-to-people links between the two countries and discussed further potential for deepening the existing intensive cooperation.

Special emphasis was placed on important projects and activities that have been carried out with the support of the British Council at Georgian educational institutions. The sides underlined the excellent cooperation between the British Council and Georgia in English, education and Culture and Creative Industries, which focuses on sharing the UK’s expertise and innovation. The parties agreed that all efforts should be made to support and develop this cooperation further, including by achieving greater alignment with the National Strategy of Education and Science 2022 to 2030 priorities in Georgia. The sides welcomed the English Teaching Strategy formally incorporated in the National Strategy of Education and Science 2022 to 2030 of Georgia, English teacher development programmes and successful implementation of the Learning Hubs programme funded by CSSF and discussed sustainability of these networks. The participants also discussed future English and Entrepreneurial Education in Higher Education programmes. The sides reviewed existing links, outlined new areas of focus programming, including English learning provision in education and increased teacher development. The sides underlined the importance of enhanced cooperation in the areas of Higher Education and Science. The Georgian side also thanked the UK for the growing number of scholarships available for Georgian citizens.

The parties underlined the importance of existing cultural links and agreed that all efforts should be made to support and develop this cooperation further. In particular, both delegations discussed strategic priorities in the Culture and Creative Industries and reviewed the last year of close cooperation between the UK and Georgia in this area. They outlined new areas of focus, including enterprise skills and further capacity building in the creative industries, particularly in sectors, which have strong opportunity for bilateral connections. Both sides agreed to cooperate in the framework of the Creative Economy and Crafting Future programmes led by the British Council in Georgia. Both sides agreed to further develop cultural exchanges in the field of museums, theatres and literature.

The participants welcomed the growing role and positive impact of public diplomacy on UK-Georgia relations.

Following the discussions, the UK and Georgia reaffirmed their intention to strengthen the strategic bilateral partnership and hold the ninth round of the Wardrop Strategic Dialogue in Tbilisi next year.