PM Garibahsvili meets European Council President in Brussels

PM Garibahsvili meets European Council President in Brussels

The President of the European Council (EC) Herman Van Rompuy has expressed his desire to visit Tbilisi in March.

Rompuy announced his wish at a meeting with Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibahsvili, who currently is paying his first official meeting to Brussels since taking office last November.

At the meeting, the EC President reconfirmed the European Union’s support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and its commitment to support conflict resolution in Georgia, including through the EU’s co-chairmanship of the Geneva International Talks and its Monitoring Mission in Georgia.

Rompuy encouraged Georgia to continue to pay attention to political pluralism and media freedom.

"Criminal prosecutions have to be evidence-based, impartial and fully in line with democratic values,” the EC President said.

He claimed that the European Union placed high importance on the rights of people belonging to minority groups.

"The adoption of the Anti-Discrimination Law is important in order to make progress in the visa liberalisation dialogue,” the president stated.

Garibashvili informed Rompuy about the major changes recently undertaken in Georgian politics – a new President, Prime Minister and constitution.

The leaders underlined that one of their main objectives this year was to sign the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, which was initialized in Vilnius last November.

It was also stressed that the both sides were ready to sign the document in August, this year.

The CE President also welcomed the signing of a Framework Participation Agreement on CSDP cooperation, which will enhance Georgia-EU cooperation in Common Security and Defence Policy and enable Georgia's participation in EU-led crisis management operations.

The PM also informed Rompuy about recent developments in conflict resolution in Georgia.

The EU leader responded by saying: "The European Union welcomes the continuing diplomatic contacts between Georgia and the Russian Federation as an important contribution to assuring stability and security for the region.”

He expressed the EU’s concern at ongoing activities to erect physical barriers to free movement within Georgian territory, near the occupational line.

Garibahsvili already met several other EU high officials within his visit to Belgium, which is scheduled to end on February 5.