Angela Merkel: “Germany supports Georgia. That’s why I am here”
German Chancellor: "Georgia is very important partner in context of Eastern partnership" Photo:PM's press office
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel started her South Caucasian tour by visiting Tbilisi today.
After a face to face meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and a meeting with part of te Georgian cabinet, she held a joint press conference with the Georgian PM.
The topics discussed at the meetings included the situation in Georgia’s regions occupied by Russia, the country’s European aspirations and integration and the deepening of the economic and cultural ties.
“Germany supports and will support Georgia in the future. That is why I am here. Georgia is a very important partner in the context of the Eastern Partnership: there is the Association Agreement (with the EU), the free trade agreement, the broadening and reinforcement of relations between our countries. For the present, we are working on the expansion of the instruments we already have,” said Merkel, answering a question about Germany’s role in Georgia’s road to the EU.
Prime Minister Bakhtadze thanked Germany for the support of Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“Today the support of Germany, Georgia’s reliable ally, is extremely important. Russia does not fulfill the ceasefire agreement signed on August 12, 2008. It continues to occupy 20 per cent of Georgia. Unfortunately today Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions are annexed."
"And it is worsening the security, human rights and humanitarian issues there. Georgia has only one answer to this challenge – peace, development and the building of European democracy,” underlined Bakhtadze.
Angela Merkel will travel to the occupation line to the Russian-controlled Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region tomorrow. She will also meet the members of the European Union Monitoring Mission there to see the barbed wires, dividing Georgian villages and “border “signs illegally installed by Russia.
This is how the barbed wires illegally installed by Russia looks like. This "border" divides Georgian villages, putting the neighbours in the different coutries. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
“It is very unfair what is going on there. The President of Russia knows my position, including the Ukrainian issue. It is the same context. Despite huge efforts, it has done just a little to end this big injustice. This should not become part of daily life, we should not get used to this situation,” stressed the German Chancellor.
She also spoke out about the “successful partnership in the fight against orginised crime” and made emphasis on reducing the number of persons asking for asylum in Germany from Georgia, which increased immediately after the visa-free waiver with the EU.
As the Georgian PM announced among the issues discussed at the meeting were:
- The effective fulfillment of the Association Agreement with EU
- Georgia’s economic integration with EU
- Visa free regime
- Georgia’s membership in European Energy Union
- Deepening ties in the field of transportation and communication
- Security issues
Angela Merkel said that she is looking forward to Georgia’s presentation as the guest country in October at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Tomorrow she will start the morning with a meeting with opposition parties, then she will address students of Georgian Technical University. Angela Merkel will travel to the Administrative Boundary Line and after will leave Tbilisi for Yerevan, Armenia.