EU Delegation to Georgia publishes annual report on some progress in Association Agreement implementation, while highlighting the need for further inclusive reforms
The report also noted the EU “had further stepped up its support” to country’s resilience, including through the European Peace Facility, and added that in 2021 “a good basis had been laid” together with European Financial Institutions and Georgian government counterparts to materialise the flagship projects for the country under the Economic and Investment Plan for Eastern Partnership. Photo: Reuters.
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The European Union published its annual Association Implementation Report on Georgia on Friday. The report has reviewed Georgia’s implementation of reforms under the EU-Georgia Association Agreement over the past year.
Georgia continued its reform path under difficult circumstances, against the background of its socio-economic recovery from Covid-19, a tense political environment and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine” said Joseph Borrell, the Vice President of the European Commission and the High Representative of the EU.
He noted that there have been “setbacks in the key areas”, including the rule of law, governance and human rights, and added that as embarking on the “new phase of its relations” with the EU, Georgia would need to take a “responsible and conscientious approach”.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, highilighted the “historic decision” made by the European Council to grant Georgia “EU membership perspective” and expressed readiness to grant the country candidate status after fulfilling the priorities defined in the Commission's opinion.
Varhelyi said the EU would continue to support Georgia’s economic development and recovery through the Eastern Partnership Economic and Investment Plan and stressed that the country’s “serious commitment” would be “crucial” to democratic consolidation and judicial reforms, as well as strengthening the rule of law and fighting against corruption.
The report said the EU “has continued to support” Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within the country's internationally recognized borders, including through the efforts of the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Georgian Crisis, co-chairing the international discussions in Geneva and the sustained presence on the ground of the EU Monitoring Mission.
The report also noted the EU “had further stepped up its support” to country’s resilience, including through the European Peace Facility, and added that in 2021 “a good basis had been laid” together with European Financial Institutions and Georgian government counterparts to materialise the flagship projects for the country under the Economic and Investment Plan for Eastern Partnership.
Representatives of the European Union Delegation to Georgia and the United States Embassy on Wednesday met with members of the Georgian Parliamentary opposition to discuss the implementation of the conditions outlined by the European Union for granting the country membership candidate status, the Georgian Parliament said.
The activities of the parliamentary working groups, created to review the judicial reforms for fulfilling the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status, and the progress in the implementation process were discussed on Tuesday by Anri Okhanashvili, the Head of Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the Georgian Dream ruling party and Julien Crampes, the Acting Head of the European Union Delegation to Georgia.
Viola von Cramon, a member of the European Parliament and part of a EP delegation on visit to Georgia, on Thursday said it was a “pity” that some opposition groups in Georgia were missing “an important chance” to join the work on the implementation of the conditions outlined by the European Union to Georgia for membership.
The fact that “serious work” on the implementation of the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union to Georgia for membership is underway and both the ruling party and the opposition have presented their plans has “given us great hope”, David McAllister, the Head of a European Parliament delegation said in a joint press conference with Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili in Tbilisi on Wednesday.
In bilateral relations between Georgia and the European Union, the country will have “specific, tangible results very soon”, Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili said on Sunday, while commenting on the annual Association Agreement Implementation Report of the EU.
Julien Crampes, the Acting Head of the European Union Delegation to Georgia, on Thursday called for inclusiveness and involvement of opposition parties and civil society in the Parliamentary work on the 12-point conditions outlined by the EU for granting the country the membership candidate status.
Tamar Taliashvili, an MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the Parliamentary work on the 12-point conditions outlined by the EU for granting the country the membership candidate status was proceeding according to plan, with the principles of “openness, transparency and inclusiveness” ensured.
Ilia Darchiashvili, the Georgian Foreign Minister will participate on Tuesday and Wednesday in a two-day informal Gymnich format meeting of the European Union foreign ministers in Czech Republic capital city of Prague, discussing the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the suspension of visa liberalisation for Russian citizens with foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Wednesday said he would have a “very open and very specific” conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba about how the two countries can “strengthen bilateral cooperation and strategic partnership”.