Georgian translation of Association Agreement is available

The Georgian translation of the Association Agreement, which the country is expected to sign with the European Union this year, is available and will be made public.

Today, Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a presentation of the Georgian version of the Association Agreement (AA).

Journalists attending the event received the Georgian translation and information guide surrounding the AA.

The presentation, held this morning, was led by Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze and Deputy Minister Tamar Beruchashvili.

Panjikidze opened the event with a speech, which stressed the importance of the AA in Georgia-EU relations.

She said currently Georgia was in a very responsible stage, as the country had to provide peaceful signing of the Agreement before September 2014.

"Given the importance of the process, we now are especially in need of the support and consolidation of solidarity from the international community,” Panjikidze said.

"Translating the document into Georgian was one of the preparation components ahead of signing the Agreement. I would also like to note that the Georgian version of the Agreement is not finalized and still needs to undergo legal and linguistic examination, but the text in the current condition is widely available from today,” the Minister said.

The document consists of more than 1000 pages and can be conditionally divided into three sections: Political Cooperation, Sector Cooperation and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area ( DCFTA).

Moves to sign the AA took place on November 29, 2013, at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius.

The Georgia-EU document is being called the "new generation” agreement, because in contrast to the previously signed agreements, it included the DCFTA section and provided specific mechanisms for convergence with the EU.

The Association Agreement is expected to be signed before September 2014.