The Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy, Olivér Várhelyi, used his visit to Tbilisi on Wednesday 7 July to highlight the importance of freedom of expression and assembly, after violence against LGBTI activists (see EUROPE 12755/28).
“The freedom of expression unhindered by violence, or any discrimination, needs to be upheld. All must enjoy the right of assembly and of freedom of expression. Therefore, we want everybody to respect this”, he stressed at a press conference with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. The Commissioner recalled that there was no place for violence and that those who used it should face justice.
In the field of justice, highlighting the “important” progress made on electoral reform, Mr Várhelyi called for progress in judicial reform and in the appointment of Supreme Court judges. He also emphasised the importance of rule of law reforms.
He also welcomed the end of the boycott of Parliament, calling on all political parties to work towards the implementation of the political agreement reached in April (see EUROPE 12701/3).
Mr Varhelyi also referred to the Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership countries, presented by the European Commission on 2 July (see EUROPE 12754/5). “We have found that the main bottleneck and the main vulnerability of the economy and the society of Georgia is the lack of connectivity” be it energy, transport or broadband internet, he explained.
According to the commissioner, the plan for Georgia should bring “at least €3.9 billion in investment”, or almost a third of the country’s pre-crisis GDP.
“Its implementation is a huge task. It is a possibility, but we will have to work together very hard to make it happen”, warned Mr Várhelyi, recalling that solid Georgian structures were needed, “capable of producing results”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)