EU top official: Georgia is leading state regarding EU relations

The European Union (EU) Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn believes Georgia is one of the "leading countries” in terms of EU relations and now the focus should be on implementation of the Association Agreement (AA).

Hahn made his poignant statement today in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, after attending the 6th informal meeting of Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries, attended by local and foreign top political representations. 

In the context of the renewed European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) it is important to emphasise that Georgia is one of the leading countries in terms of the EU relations.” 

Now we should focus on the implementation of the Association Agreement (AA) and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement between Georgia and the EU, which together with the visa liberalisation issue, will be the main topic of my bilateral meetings in Tbilisi.” 

The EU top official stressed Georgia was "on a good path” but he also said continued efforts was necessary for the country to achieve its final goals. 

But it is also important to underline that we need our and our neighbors’ bilateral efforts for the success of the European Neighbourhood Policy. The starting point is cooperation with our neighbors in our mutual interests", said Hahn, adding the EU was interested in peace and stability in the neighborhood.

Georgia's Health Minister Davit Sergeenko with EU top official Johannes Hahn in Tbilisi. Photo by the Health Ministry of Georgia. 

Hahn then promised to provide his views more openly regarding Georgia’s EU prospects tomorrow after his meeting with Georgia’s Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. 

Kvirikashvili, while speaking on the same issue today, said earlier information could lead Georgia to have "positive expectations” concerning the EU’s next technical assessment of Georgia’s integration progress.

We have grounds to have these positive expectations about the technical analysis of the Georgian reforms we have carried out to implement the obligations demanded through the AA and DCFTA agreements. The technical evaluation will be followed by a political decision of the EU,” Kvirikashvili said. 

The fourth technical report of the Council of Europe (CoE) on Georgia will be released on December 15.

Top officials from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, as well as local politicians are attending the sixth informal EaP dialogue. 

The conference was scheduled to be completed today, while Hahn will remain in Georgia until late tomorrow to meet Georgian officials and discuss the country’s EU prospects.