Two European high officials visit Georgia today

Georgia is preparing to host two European high officials this week.

French President Francois Hollande and President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy are expected to visit Tbilisi today.

The French President will visit Georgia on the last leg of his three-day trip to three South Caucasus countries, which also took him to Azerbaijan and Armenia.

President Hollande will meet his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and will address the Georgian-French economic forum during his seven-hour stay in Tbilisi.

An official welcome ceremony will be held at the Presidential Palace before an extended meeting is scheduled to take place.

After the meeting the two Presidents will hold a joint press conference for media representatives.

Georgian President’s foreign policy advisor, Vano Matchavariani, said bilateral relations and Georgia’s European Union and NATO integration, as well as regional security issues, will top the agenda of talks during the French President’s visit.

Georgia’s Foreign Minister evaluated the French President’s visit and said to media today that his visit showed strong support to Georgia from a strong European state.

"This is a strong expression of support, especially now, as we approach the date of the signing of the Association Agreement. The French President's visit is a special event in the history of our foreign policy,” Minister Maia Panjikidze said.

This is not the first time the Georgian PM and President has met the French leader. On March 24, Prime Minister Garibashvili met President Hollande on the sideline of a Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague and the Georgian and French Presidents met in Vilnius in November last year at the Eastern Partnership Summit.

Meanwhile a second influential official is set to arrive in Tbilisi later this evening.

President of European Council Herman Van Rompuy will spend two days in Georgia on official business. While here Rompuy will meet the Georgian President and Prime Minister.

The main goal of his visit is to discuss topical issues relating to the current political situation in Georgia, including stability and security, as well as cooperation with the EU.

"The visit is important as it is being implemented shortly before the signing of the Association Agreement,” Panjikidze said.

This will be Rompuy’s second visit to Georgia. Local figureheads said his visit reiterated the EU’s special interest towards Georgia and demonstrated the EU’s strong political support for the country.

The Georgian Prime Minister met the European Council President on March 24 at the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague and earlier, on February 4 in Brussels, Belgium.