PM Garibashvili to European Council President: Georgia remains loyal ally of EU
Electoral reform was also discussed at the meeting with the President of the European Council Michel, announced Garibashvili. Photo: Prime Minister's press office.
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Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has met with European Council President Charles Michel, who is visiting Georgia for the 17th International Conference - Georgia’s European Way and stated that Georgia remains a loyal ally of the EU.
Our main task is to maintain a stable situation and peace in Georgia. This is a key message that we have shared with President Michel and we absolutely agree on that,” stated PM Garibashvili earlier today.
Great talk w/ @CharlesMichel The increased dynamics of high-level meetings reflect the intensity of our relations & the importance the #EU attaches to ????????. Discussed the upcoming #EaP summit, enhancing Black Sea connectivity & ????????'s role in the region as the EU's loyal ally. pic.twitter.com/K2NOnMWNeZ
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) July 19, 2021
Garibashvili also noted that he informed Charles Michel that the conditions stipulated in the EU-agreement, which ended the political crisis in April caused by the parliamentary elections of 2020, are being fulfilled.
I had a very fruitful conversation with President Michelle. First of all, I provided him with information on how our obligations are being fulfilled. I told him that for our part, we are motivated and we are following this process…We are absolutely eager and motivated to continue and implement justice reform,” stated Garibashvili.
Electoral reform was also discussed at the meeting with the President of the European Council Michel, announced Garibashvili.
I had a conversation with President Michel about electoral reform. I told him that we had worked out almost complete electoral reform, with the engagement of the opposition,” said Garibashvili.
PM Garibashvili also underlined that he asked Charles Michel to send as many observers as possible for the elections in Georgia in order to prevent speculations from the opposition parties, said Garibashvili.
The Georgian parliament adopted electoral amendments in June which initially were proposed by the ruling party and Citizens opposition party and later revised in compliance with the April 19 agreement.
Two major opposition factions in parliament did not support the amendments.
I told him that we are absolutely mobilised to hold the forthcoming elections in the most peaceful environment, to make the process absolutely transparent,” PM Garibashvili stated.
European Union President Charles Michel, Presidents of Ukraine and Moldova Volodymyr Zelensky and Maia Sandu are attending the international conference in Batumi today.
The Georgian side of the conference is represented by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili and other members of the government.
The main topic of the conference is enhanced cooperation between the three associated partners of the European Union - Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.
The countries recently launched the format of the associated trio.
Batumi International Conference - Georgia's European Way - has been held since 2007.
European Council President Charles Michel has stated that judicial reform is the condition for the disbursement of EU macro-financial assistance to Georgia, following l meetings with Georgian officials and parliamentary opposition parties amid the 17th International Conference - Georgia’s European Way.
“We are a sovereign and independent state. We are doing everything, and we are a distinguished star among the EU Eastern Partnership states, with our reforms, achievements”, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has told journalists today. In his comments he has assessed recent political developments in Georgia, country's EU aspirations, media freedom in Georgia, relations with US and recent appointment of Supreme Court judges.
The US State Department has called on the Georgian government to suspend the process of the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court, urging the authorities to implement the April 19 EU-mediated agreement which ended months of a political standoff caused by the parliamentary elections of 2020. The US State Department says that ‘comprehensive, transparent, and inclusive judicial reform’ must be carried out before the process can continue.
The Georgian parliament has adopted electoral amendments earlier today with its third and final reading which were initially proposed back in March 2021 by the ruling Georgian Dream party and Citizens opposition and later were revised in line with the April 19 EU-mediated agreement.
The latest edition of Batumi International Conference, a discussion platform involving European Union and Eastern Partnership states, has launched in Georgia's Black Sea city of Batumi on Monday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has opened the Batumi International Conference - Georgia’s European Way and stated that the implementation of the Association Agreement (AA) remains at the top of the Georgian Government’s agenda.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has welcomed guests of the 17th Batumi International Conference and stated that ‘Georgia's European choice is inseparable from our history’ and the conference is another confirmation of it.
Georgian, Ukrainian and Moldovan presidents Salome’s Zurabishvili, Volodymyr Zelensky and Maia Sandu have signed a joint declaration on European integration at the 17th International Conference - Georgia’s European Way, which took place in Batumi, today. The common message of the Assosiated Trio is to strengthen the Eastern Partnership and joint efforts for European integration.