EU Foreign Ministers on Russia-Abkhazia treaty and Georgia’s EU objective

"We must condemn and stand against of any attempt aimed to legalize the annexation of Georgian territories. All these efforts are the logical continuation of what Russia is doing in other regions, for example in Crimea,” commented Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius after the Friends of Georgia meeting today in Luxembourg before the Foreign Affairs Council.

Latvian FM Edgars Rinkevics called Georgia the leader of the Eastern Partnership.

"We all agree at the end of the meeting that Georgia is the leader of the EU Eastern Partnership and Riga Summit planned for May 2015 should go beyond Association Agreement. We hope to complete the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan. Much depends on both Georgia and the EU,” he stated according to Georgian Foreign Ministry’s press office.

Latvia initiated the meeting of the Friends of Georgia, as the first six months of 2015 the country will host the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The meeting heard a presentation by Georgian Government officials on how it will launch the provisional implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, signed on June 27.

Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze pointed out the Russia-Abkhazia new draft treaty on ‘Alliance and Integration’ and its impact on the situation in the region.

The Latvian FM also expressed his position in a tweet after the meeting:

His Estonian counterpart also published a message on Twitter after the Friends of Georgia meeting:

The Hungarian FM and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto also expressed his strong support to Georgia’s EU aspirations.

"Hungary is the strong supporter of Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The process of the Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration should be speed up. European Union should strongly support the enlargement of EU,” he said.

Meanwhile Miroslav Lajcak, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia said: "EU has the clear position. We fully support Georgia’s territorial integrity.”

Slovakia ratified Georgia’s AA, which included the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement on October 16.

He underlined: "We [Slovakia] from the EU side and the Georgian Government should do maximum for the completing the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, because this document offers perspective for the people who lives on occupied territory”.