Georgian PM announces new format of dialogue with EU
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The new format of Georgia-EU relations will include a dialogue with the representation of the Prime Minister of Georgia and the President of the European Commission.
Despite the progress made in Georgia-EU relations, it is important to provide for "tighter integration” than provided for by the Association Agreement between the two parties, Georgian PM Mamuka Bakhtadze said before the first meeting of the new cabinet today.
"After signing the Association Agreement with the EU we have achieved several goals. I would especially emphasise the visa-free regime with the Schengen area bringing important benefits for our citizens. However, we need to do more in terms of EU integration and this is why we have developed a road map of implementation which will give a stronger dynamic to EU-Georgia relations,” Mamuka Bakhtadze said, adding that the new format of the relations would include bilateral dialogue at highest level.
PM Bakhtadze also touched on the recent signing of the free trade agreement with Hong Kong, and said that Georgia’s position as a transit country to Hong Kong could further attract investors.
Hong Kong and Georgia have signed a free trade agreement (FTA) today which will provide legal certainty and boost market access and investment flow between the two countries. Georgian Deputy Economic Minister Genadi Arveladze and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of Hong Kong, Edward Yau signed the free trade agreement in Hong Kong today.
This time last year, a small Georgian delegation led by Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili left for a historic trip on which Georgians travelled visa-free for the first time to the European Union (EU).
Four years have passed since the signing of the historic Association Agreement deal between Georgia and the EU.Georgia has received more than €400 million in financial support from the EU since the signing of the agreement on June 27, 2014, the Georgian Foreign Ministry says. The Foreign Ministry says that Georgia has progressed much in terms of legal and institutional integration with the EU and has become a member of Europe’s energy union.
Parliamentarians from the NATO nations have appealed for Alliance leaders on Monday to continue providing strong political and practical support to Georgia in the process of NATO integration and to advance the further political dimension of the country’s NATO membership process.
The new format was announced by PM Bakhtadze last month. The format will entail a meeting between the Georgian PM and EU President once a year to assess the progress made by Georgia on its way to the EU and involve different ministers upon necessity.
Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze and the EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn have discussed the new high-level bilateral cooperation format between the EU and Georgia, the first meeting of which will be held in Brussels in November.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has stated that the government should prepare the country for membership in NATO and the EU and as soon as soon as the decision about the membership of Georgia is mature, Georgia should join the alliance and the EU.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has positively assessed progress made by Georgia on its way towards EU integration at a meeting with the Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze in New York yesterday.
The European Union has decided to allocate additional €6 million for its Erasmus+ program in Georgia, which is the EU programme 2014-2020 for education, training, youth and sport.
Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze will visit Brussels with the government delegation on today.
Georgia and the EU will sign several deals tomorrow in Brussels at what will be the first of a new, unique format of meeting between the two parties. The deals will provide up to €231 million in support for Georgian education, economy and businesses.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and the Georgian delegation have met with Georgian diaspora in Brussels late yesterday and familiarised them with the initiatives offered by the Georgian government in support of Georgians living abroad.
Georgian and EU officials have laid the foundation for the very first fully-fledged European School outside the EU borders, which will enroll students from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine at Lisi Lake in Tbilisi.