(Read the full article on Civil.ge)

President Salome Zurabishvili arrived in Skopje today, where she already met her North Macedonian counterpart Stevo Pendarovski at the Villa Vodno Presidential Palace, Civil.ge reported.

This marks the first official visit by a Georgian President to North Macedonia.

After the meeting, the Presidents signed a visa-free travel agreement between Georgia and North Macedonia, and delivered statements in a joint press conference.

According to Civil.ge, in her remarks, President Zurabishvili highlighted that the countries have a common “chosen” path toward EU and NATO integration. “We appreciate North Macedonia’s readiness to share with Georgia the experience gained in the European integration process,” she remarked.

Noting that the sides discussed current events in Ukraine and the military build-up by Russia in the Black Sea and Caucasus regions, President Zurabishvili stressed the June 14 NATO Summit must offer a “clear” membership perspective for both Georgia and Ukraine as a “non-confrontational response” to the escalation.

The Georgian President also said she offered her North Macedonian counterpart an initiative to “consolidate” small countries’ perspectives on global challenges, “such as climate change, or protecting the environment,” Civil.ge reported.

According to the Georgian President, she also discussed with President Pendarovski the situation in Georgia’s Russia-occupied territories, issues of cybersecurity and fake information, as well as deepening relations in the field of artificial intelligence.

On his part, President Pendarovski said he discussed deepening bilateral relations between Skopje and Tbilisi during the meeting with the Georgian President.

Also during today’s ceremony, Culture Ministers Tea Tsulukiani and Irena Stefoska signed a memorandum on cooperating in the field of culture.