UK ratifies EU-Georgia Association Agreement

The United Kingdom (UK) has ratified the Association Agreement (AA) between the European Union (EU) and Georgia.

Today, the UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond signed the document, meaning Britain has completed the ratification process of the important EU-Georgia deal.

The British Parliament and the House of Lords ratified the EU-Georgian deal on March 9, then the document was discussed in the Privy Council and later presented to Foreign Secretary Hammond to sign.

By ratifying the EU-Georgia AA, Britain has shown it supported Georgia’s European integration, said Georgia’s Ambassador in the UK Revaz Gachechiladze.

"Britain has joined the group of European countries who support Georgia’s association with Europe. It was important the document was ratified by the UK ahead of the Riga Summit, and with this, the UK reaffirmed its support for Georgia’s European integration” he said.

"Furthermore, in Britain there is also a positive attitude toward supporting Georgia’s visa liberalisation issues.”

The AA deal was signed by Georgia and the EU on June 27, 2014 in Brussels.

Georgia has already ratified the agreement but the ratification process is currently continuing in EU member states. EU Association deals need to be ratified by all 28 EU member countries before the agreement can be fully implemented.

European Parliament approved the EU-Georgia deal on December 18, 2014.

The UK was the 18th EU member state to ratify the EU-Georgia deal. Other countries who have already ratified the important deal are: Finland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Croatia, Romania, Hungary, Estonia, Slovakia, Malta, Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria.