Brussels, 22/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - Georgia must reach out to its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia if it is to resolve the conflict that led to war with Russia in 2008, EU Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Stefan Füle said on Friday 22 July. “Isolation is no alternative”, he told participants in a conference entitled “Georgia's European Way” in Batumi. “Georgia must show to these communities, now divided by conflict, that they are an integral part of Georgian society and will also benefit from closer political approximation and economic integration with the European Union”, he said. Füle urged Tbilisi to ensure that people can safely travel along the regional border and to encourage trade and investment. The border area remains tense, and Russia recently expressed concern about the actions of Georgian security forces there, according to news wire reports.
Füle also praised Georgia for its reform programme, and its efforts to move closer to the EU, but he urged Tbilisi to consolidate its democracy, with a clear system of checks and balances and a more tolerant and pluralistic political culture. He also called for a reform of the electoral system, with parliamentary polls approaching next year and a presidential vote in 2013. Füle finally called on Georgia to ensure there is no political influence over the country's justice system. (LoC)