Official Tbilisi welcomes ratification of EU-Georgia AA deal

European Parliament has ratified a wide ranging political and trade agreement which puts Georgia on a clear path towards deep integration with the European Union (EU), says official Tbilisi.

Georgia’s Association Agreement (AA) with the EU was approved today in Strasbourg. Members of European Parliament backed the AA by 490 votes in favour to 76 against, with 57 abstentions.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili welcomed Thursday's vote as a strong signal of support from the EU's legislative body for Georgia's European perspective.

#Georgia has worked hard over recent years to implement the democratic reforms which have led to this success of #AA with the #EU

— Irakli Garibashvili (@PrimeMinisterGE) December 18, 2014

"On behalf of all Georgians I wish to thank the Members of the European Parliament for this vote of confidence in our country and our institutions.

"We have worked hard over recent years to implement the democratic reforms which have led to this success and the Association Agreement provides the framework for us to continue this process and advance towards our final goal of full integration into the European Union," Garibashvili said in a special statement.

The text adopted by the European Parliament reiterates that Georgia "has a European perspective and may apply to become a member of the Union provided that it adheres to the principles of democracy, respects fundamental freedoms and human and minority rights, and ensures the rule of law."

PM Garibashvili believed Georgia today was "a success story of the European Partnership Initiative”.

"We are determined to fully and rapidly implement this agreement in order to bring our country fully into line with European standards," Garibashvili said.

He believed European integration would bring tangible benefits to the people of Georgia, but that Georgia would also be an important partner for the EU.

"Georgia is a stable democracy, a vibrant economy, an able and reliable contributor to international security and a key transit country for energy bound for Europe," he said.

So far 12 EU member states have ratified AA deals between Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine with the EU. These countries are Denmark, Sweden, Croatia, Romania, Hungary, Estonia, Slovakia, Malta, Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria.

EU association deals need to be ratified by all 28 EU member countries before they can be fully implemented.

The AA deals were signed by Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova and EU representatives in Brussels on June 27.