EU Council’s high official: “Georgia is our closest partner”

Georgia is the closest and most important partner of the European Union in the region, says the Chair of the EU Council’s Political and Security Committee (PSC) Walter Stevens.

Stevens, together with a delegation from the PSC, is paying a visit to Tbilisi, where he met with Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze.

"The visit of the ambassadors from 28 EU states to Georgia is yet another signal of the EU’s support for Georgia,” Stevens said.

He stressed the efforts Georgia had made in order to implement reforms within its Association Agreement with the EU. He added that the EU visa waiver for Georgian citizens was a tangible result of these efforts.

Delegation of the EU Council’s Political and Security Committee in Tbilisi, Georgia. Photo: MFA's press office.

While in Georgia, the delegation is scheduled to visit the field offices of the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in the country.

"I want to stress that it is very important to stand by Georgia and support its sovereignty and territorial integrity. That is exactly what we are going to do tomorrow, when we will visit the Administrative Boundary Line to see firsthand the problems the Russian Federation is causing for local residents,” Stevens said.

The visit will also see the PSC delegation meet with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Defence Minister Levan Izoria, and other officials as well as civil society actors.