Donald Tusk: EU has ambitious plans for Georgia
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Georgia is "definitely a front-runner” in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) but the country has many reforms ahead before it receives visa free travel to the European Union (EU).
This was the message voiced by European Council (EC) President Donald Tusk when he held a joint press conference with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili in Tbilisi this evening.
Tusk is in Georgia today as part of his South Caucasus trip. He arrived in Tbilisi late this afternoon following talks in the Armenian capital Yerevan earlier today, before visiting Azerbaijan tomorrow.
This is Tusk’s first visit to Georgia as EC President.
Georgia is a close associated partner of EU & #EaP front-runner pic.twitter.com/HBtw2PlTDX
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) July 20, 2015
Comments by Tusk on his official Twitter account.
"We have strong mutual relations, which are further intensifying,” Tusk said at the press conference.
"Georgia is definitely a front-runner in the EaP. This is not a compliment. This is the fact.”
"Implementation of the Association Agreement, which we began last September, will play the key role in deepening our partnership.”
The EC President said the EU had an ambitious plan regarding Georgia, which he believed Georgia was capable of fulfilling.
"Georgia is currently implementing reforms, which we welcome to but for a visa free travel additional reforms are needed,” he said.
Tusk named corruption, migration, drugs and human trafficking as areas to further work on if Georgia wanted a visa free regime.
"This is our official position and I am sure Georgia is ready for this ambitious agenda,” Tusk said.
He also commented the current tense situation at the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia and Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Tusk condemned Russia’s illegal actions there and reconfirmed the EU’s full support towards Georgia’s territorial integrity.
The EC President will personally travel to the occupation line tomorrow to see the situation on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Georgian side assessed Tusk’s Georgia visit as a "clear demonstration of the EU’s solidarity with Georgia”.
President Margvelashvili expressed his hope that this visit would fasten the process of Georgia’s integration into the EU.
Tusk will meet more Georgian officials this evening and tomorrow morning before leaving for Baku later on July 21.
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European Council President Donald Tusk thinks it is possible for Georgians to travel without visas to European Union (EU) countries in 2016.
The main and final document of the meeting consists of 30 points and includes several important messages on how Georgia can develop its relationship with the European Union (EU).
European Council (EC) President Donald Tusk has visited the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia’s breakaway region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgian territory, where new demarcation signposts have been installed recently by Russian forces.
European Council (EC) President Donald Tusk has praised the Georgian Government for its "responsible” reaction to Russia’s recent "provocations” along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia’s breakaway region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and the rest of the country.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili is in Brussels to discuss his country’s European future.
President of the European Council Donald Tusk voiced the EU’s support for Georgia after he met Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili in Brussels, Belgium this afternoon. This was the first time the pair met after Kvirikashvili was appointed Prime Minister of Georgia.