EU Association Agreement signature celebrated abroad
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Georgian, Moldavian and Ukrainian Embassies across the globe are celebrating the signature of a "watershed” agreement with the European Union.
Special receptions were held in France, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Switzerland, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to commemorate the moment when the three countries signed Association Agreements (AA) to strengthen ties with the EU.
Georgian wine and mineral water were served at the receptions. Photo from Georgia's Foreign Ministry 
The events were attended by EU representatives and members of local Governments in all countries.
Ambassadors of the three countries spoke about the importance of the document. They also stressed a high possibility of Russia pressuring Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine after the important document was signed.
The documents were assessed as a "watershed moment” for all three countries.
Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine signed the partnership agreements with the EU on June 27.
From left: Moldavian, Georgian and Ukrainian Ambassadors to Estonia celebrating the AA signature.
Thousands of Georgians and well-wishers of other nations are gathering at Europe Square in Tbilisi tonight to celebrate Georgia signing the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union (EU).
Two United States Senators are congratulating Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova on signing the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union (EU).
Garibashvili described the signature of the Agreement as a "new great date in the chronicles of his homeland”.
President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso is calling the Association Agreements, which Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine signed today with the EU, as "the most ambitious document the European Union has entered into so far.”
High officials from the two countries met in Kiev today to discuss the EU-integration issues for the first time since the countries signed the EU Association Agreements.
Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development has developed a draft law to suspend the agreement between Russia and Georgia on free trade, Russian media reports. The draft bill was uploaded on an official portal where authorities disclosed legal information.
Abashidze believed a draft law issued on Wednesday by Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development that outlined moves to suspend the 20-year-old free trade agreement was "not a surprise” for Georgian officials and "it will not be a tragedy”.
Georgia’s Prime Minister believes Russia’s suspension of its bilateral free trade agreement with Georgia is "not a big tragedy." Irakli Garibashvili commented on this topic from the Vasiani Military Base where he attended military trainings of Georgian soldiers.
Abashidze said the reason for Russia’s decision was because of the Customs Union – a union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia which gathered ex-Soviet states into a free trade zone to rival the European Union (EU).
Six years ago on June 27, Georgia signed the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union in Brussels, which includes the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). The agreement fully came into force on July 1, 2016.