Georgian PM: “EU-Georgia relationship is and should remain mutually beneficial”

Georgian Prime Minister Kvirikashvili has talked about the progress Georgia has achieved at the fifth Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels today.

Addressing EU leaders, Kvirikashvili said that his country commits to undertake all reforms envisaged by its Association Agreement and to go beyond, because this is the expectation of the people of Georgia.

He stressed that Georgia has established a system of democratic, transparent decision-making, based on the rule of law. His team is committed to good governance and accountability and to improving its quality and standards. He noted that by 2024 Georgia will have a fully parliamentary system with proportional representation.

"We do this not because of the action plan benchmarks, but because Georgians deserve nothing less. We do this because it is our sovereign choice and the one that brings progress and delivers practical results”, Kvirikashvili said.

He also talked about his expectation regarding today’s summit.

He said that besides practical deliverables, Georgia expects that the Eastern Partnership Summit will voice a clear political message for the partners, will define a political vision for advancing relations further and set goals for the future.

"In the region where I come from, we do not have the luxury of political ambiguity. We face continuous security risks and challenges, occupation and aggression and we have no other instruments to counter these threats except for international support, internal consolidation and our development agenda. In this context, we greatly value the EU’s role in the conflict settlement process and in the monitoring of the ceasefire agreement”, he said.

Kvirikashvili stressed that Georgia in its turn remains a committed ally of the EU in the region and dedicated security partner.

"Our relationship is and should remain mutually beneficial”, he said.

He added that despite challenges and against many odds, Georgia will continue on its path of European integration.