Civil.ge daily news agency reports that on September 3 EU said that its talks with Georgia over Association Agreement, also free trade agreement and visa dialogue “are characterized by good progress.”
“We wish to reaffirm that Georgia is an important partner for the European Union and we are committed to further deepening our very dynamic relations,” said in a joint statement EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Štefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood.
In Brussels on September 3 Georgian PM Vano Merabishvili met with Commissioner Füle and President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy.
“We confirm our commitment to sustain the pace with a view to completing the negotiations on the Association Agreement next year,” said the EU foreign policy chief.
EU and Georgia projected visa liberalization conversation to analyze all the appropriate conditions for visa-free travel to the EU for Georgian citizen in June.
As “1in.am News and Analyses” was informed Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP) is the main instrument to conduct talks, which represents a set of detailed requirements that a country should meet in order to be granted short-term visa-free regime.
At the meeting with Georgian PM Merabishvili President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy called on the Georgian authorities “to look for further pragmatic and constructive steps to enhance its reconciliation and conflict resolution efforts with the breakaway regions.”
He also stressed “the impressive recent developments in Georgia where more efficient institutions have been built and improved services to citizens have been delivered with the help of the EU.”
As part of EU’s “more for more” policy towards its eastern partners, under the new Eastern Partnership Integration and Cooperation program the European Union “intensified its support” to Georgia through additional EUR 22 million of assistance.
