Brussels, 08/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 8 October, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn called once again for progress in terms of justice in Georgia.
“The judiciary system has to be addressed”, he said at the end of a meeting with Georgia's Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. Hahn announced that an agreement had been concluded for a European delegation, with experts, to be sent to Georgia to study how the judicial system works, and also - if “necessary” and “useful” - to examine individual cases. “With elections on the horizon next year, it is in our mutual interest to clarify what must be done”, he added. Kvirikashvili gave assurances that his country was open to cooperation and communication, and that it was ready to respond to all questions. “It's extremely important for us to have excellent communication, particularly in the phase leading up to the elections”, Kvirikashvili said. The parliamentary elections will be held in 2016. More generally, Hahn said that “the development of Georgia towards a real democratic country is an excellent one”.
Elsewhere, Hahn said that he was “very optimistic” as regards the process of visa liberalisation. The European Commission is due to present a progress report by the end of the year and could propose a visa-free regime for Georgians. “There is still work to be done”, Hahn nevertheless stated. In Kvirikashvili's view, the liberalisation of visas would be the “first appreciable result” for satisfying his country's European aspirations and it would enable EU-Georgia cooperation to be strengthened.
Hahn and Kvirikashvili also underlined the beneficial effects of the association agreement and the deep and comprehensive free trade area. Since the start of the provisional application of the free trade area, the EU's imports from Georgia have increased by 25.6%, and foreign direct investment by 81% in the second quarter of 2015, compared with the same period last year.
The two leaders also underlined the fact that Georgia could be a bridge between the EU and the Far East.
Kvirikashvili reiterated that European integration remained the “cornerstone” of his country's foreign and domestic policy because this is “the best way towards democracy, security, peace and prosperity for the region”. “Relations with the EU are of the greatest importance for us”, he added. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)