“Vast majority” support Georgia’s EU-Atlantic integration, says Minister

Representatives from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and the European Union (EU) are in Batumi for the annual Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF).

Georgia’s newly appointed State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration David Bakradze delivered a speech to participants at the sixth annual EaP CSF meeting at Batumi’s Radisson Blu Hotel.

He said Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic course was a national idea that was supported by "the vast majority” of Georgian citizens.

The recent and ongoing events in the region once again prove that we have no other choice other than to unite around common values and principles. Only this way can we ensure common security, political stability and sustainable economic growth,” Bakradze said.

He believed successful implementation of the Association Agreement (AA) was dependent on the active involvement of civil society.

I strongly believe that effective implementation of the Association Agreement, as well as attainment of our European goals and aspirations, heavily depends on active involvement and participation of the civil society. The experience, expertise as well as links provided by civil society cannot be underestimated, he said.

CSF is an institutionalised policy forum where an exchange of ideas and best practices brings together partners from six EaP countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine - and the EU with the common goal of expanding the European integration processes towards the Eastern Neighbourhood.

The forum, held in Georgia for the first time, opened today and will continue tomorrow. Organisers said this year's event provided a good opportunity for participants to assess the situation in the region and develop priorities to promote common agenda of the democratic, economic and social reforms in EaP countries.

The forum was established in 2009 after the EaP Summit in Prague and since then, it has been held in Brussels (2009), Berlin (2010), Poznan (2011), Stockholm (2012) and Chisinau (2013).