PM Garibahsvili meets with EU high officials

Georgia’s Prime Minister has met with European Commission high officials on his first official visit to Brussels since taking office last November.

Georgia’s progress on its journey to European integration was discussed at a meeting with the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso.

The leaders talked about the Association Agreement (AA), which was initialed at the Vilnius Summit. It was stressed that the document should be signed as quickly as possible.

Garibahsvili and Barroso also discussed Russian-Georgian relations, ongoing political reforms in Georgia and security issues in the region.

Earlier today, Georgia’s PM met with the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule.

The pair talked about the Georgian reforms and direction of the country, the PM’s press office said.

"The Georgian side once again expressed readiness to fulfill the undertaken obligations to accelerate reforms and to ensure synchronisation with the European norms and strategies,” the office claimed.

At the meeting, the sides expressed hope that the signing of the AA would create a new reality in terms of relations between Georgia and EU member countries.

Fule also urged Garibashvili to continue to pay attention to defending political pluralism and media freedom in Georgia, as the hallmarks of a healthy democracy and reflection of the values on which the EU-Georgia relations are being built. In this context, the Commissioner stressed the need for further strengthening of democratic institutions.

During his trip to Belgium, Georgia’s Prime Minister will be interviewed by several international media. Today he gave an interview to the BBC TV.

The PM’s press office said the BBC correspondent asked Garibashvili, the youngest leader of the world, about the Georgia-EU relations after the Vilnius Summit, Georgia’s position on the Ukrainian developments, ongoing reforms in the country and relations with Russia.

The interview will be broadcast by the BBC later tonight.

Garibashvili is scheduled to meet the head of NATO before his trip ends on February 5.