Brussels, 17/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - Talks on the in-depth and comprehensive free trade agreement between the EU and Georgia are expected to kick off in coming weeks, Catherine Ashton announced on Wednesday 16 November. Underlining the progress made by Georgia on trade issues, the EU high representative for foreign affairs explained after her meeting with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in Tibilissi: “The expectation we have is to be able to inform you very quickly, in the next few weeks, about the start of negotiations”.
Saakashvili said the launch of talks was very important for the economy of Georgia. He added that access for Georgian products to the EU market is a decisive stage leading to greater economic growth and wellbeing of the Georgian people. He said they hoped to begin talks in coming weeks.
Catherine Ashton also congratulated Georgia on its efforts with regard to Russia's membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). She underlined: “I think it will be to your benefit and of course also a benefit from the perspective of the European Union”. She stressed that the presence of Russia at the WTO “opens up opportunities for us to develop trade relations that will be of great benefit for us all”.
The Georgian president and the EU foreign policy chief also discussed abolition of the visa requirement, one of Georgia's priorities.
Vote in EP. At the same time, MEPs recommended, on Thursday 17 November, that talks begin as soon as possible on the creation of a consolidated and comprehensive free trade area and that the EU provide financial and technical assistance to Georgia in order to ensure continued legislative and institutional reforms enabling Georgia to adjust to the free trade area. In a report containing recommendations from the European Parliament for the association agreement between Georgia and the EU, adopted by a very large majority (527 for, 23 against and 34 abstentions), MEPs also call for the Commission to examine, in due course, the possibility of beginning discussion on liberalisation of the visa regime.
MEPs trust that talks on the association agreement will continue at a regular pace and that the agreement will provide a comprehensive and forward-looking framework for the development of relations with Georgia over coming years. They also want the EU to step up its support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and for it to contribute to the dialogue between Russia and Georgia.
The report hails the “significant” progress made by Georgia in the field of democratic reform, including the strengthening of democratic institutions, the fight against corruption, reform of the judiciary, and economic reform and liberalisation. Nonetheless, MEPs state that further effort is needed. (CG/transl.jl)