European high official optimistic about Georgia’s European future

2014 was a historic year for EU-Georgia relations, the newly-appointed European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, told Georgian media. 

"The signing of the Association Agreement (AA), including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, is an achievement of which we can all be proud and a major opportunity for greater prosperity, modernisation and stability in Georgia,” he told Georgian Journal today.

The European Commissioner also stressed that the AA would deepen political and economic relations between Georgia and the EU and would gradually integrate Georgia into the EU’s internal market.

"It will open up new markets to businesses and create job opportunities which will lead to considerable and rapid growth. Georgia will become more competitive and trade and investment will be boosted. Indeed, we estimate that the agreement will lead to Georgia’s GDP increasing by 4.3 percent each year, which is an additional €292 million in national income. 

"The EU is already Georgia’s first trade partner, with 27 percent share in total Georgian trade in 2013. Georgia’s exports to the European Union are expected to rise by 12 percent, while imports from the European Union should rise by 7.5 percent,” he said.

In addition, Hahn noted there were already some positive signs on increasing trade between Georgia and the EU market.

"In September 2014, imports from Georgia to the EU went up by +52.7 percent, amounting to a total of €67.8 million. If similar trends continue this will be an important boost to the Georgian economy and companies. And these figures do not include growth in investment, which we expect to increase substantially,” the EU representative said.

Hahn believed 2015 would be a year of effective engagement in the implementation of the AA, which needed great responsibility.

"All of society must be mobilised to carry out the reforms that will progressively bring Georgia closer to the standards of the European Union,” he said.

The European Commissioner said the AA was the beginning of a new relationship between Georgia and the EU.

"This is the choice I believe Georgians have made for their future and I am very happy that the EU will be accompanying Georgia as it follows this chosen path,” he said.

Hahn is set to arrive in Georgia for a three-day official visit where he will meet Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili and Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili. In addition, meetings are scheduled with representatives of civil society, Georgia-EU Business Council and the Parliamentary Majority.

The European Commissioner will also read a public lecture in the Ilia State University and visit the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) Mtskheta Field Office.

This is the first official visit of Hahn after he was appointed to his current position.