Brussels, 08/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - The parliamentary elections on 8 October will be an “important test to the strength and resilience of Georgia's democracy”, European Council President Donald Tusk stated at the end of his meeting with Georgia's President Giorgi Margvelashvili. Their meeting coincided with the official opening of the electoral campaign.
Tusk stated that the EU expected the Georgian authorities to “make every effort to guarantee a respectful, inclusive and orderly election environment”. “Free and pluralistic media is an essential precondition for that”, he added. Mentioning the recent reports about violence against opposition politicians and members of the parliament, Tusk said he hoped all the necessary steps would be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. He also said he was pleased about the planned involvement of election observers. Margvelashvili emphasised “the very important democratic efforts for free, fair and competitive elections” and added that these elections “should be conducted in a calm environment with free media and free access to campaign”.
Tusk also spoke about the “good progress” in bilateral relations between the EU and Georgia. “The strong pro-European stance of the Georgian people is a solid base for Georgia's continued progress in implementing reforms and strengthening democracy and the rule of law”, he said. According to Margvelashvili, Georgia's development and its European integration process have become a determining part of the country's political developments. Tusk and Margvelashvili also discussed the association agreement, which will come fully into force on 1 July, and the liberalisation of visas, which is currently being debated at EU member state level.
In addition, Tusk reiterated the EU's support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Margvelashvili hailed the important role of the EU monitoring mission, EUMM Georgia, and said that he was pleased with its work. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)