Tblisi, 21/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - Anna Lindh, Swedish Foreign Minister, who these past few days had been leading an EU Ministerial Troika visit to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.4), repeated in Tblisi on Wednesday the EU's desire to help Georgia succeed in its ongoing economic and political reforms, and to step up its cooperation with the European Union.
"The European Union support's Georgia's reform policies and the country's efforts for closer cooperation with the European Union", said Ms. Lindh. The EU nevertheless places emphasis on the implementation of these reforms, and on the fact that they should not be limited to good intentions. "These reforms must be implemented to the full", said Ms. Lindh, notably referring to the anti-corruption programme launched by the Georgian Government last autumn. Politically-speaking the EU supports the Georgian Government's efforts at reaching a peaceful and political settlement to the conflicts in the provinces of Abchasia and South Ossetia, and hopes that Russia will also adopt a positive and constructive attitude in this regard. "In all likelihood, a stable Georgia is as much in Russia's interest as it is in the European Union's" Ms. Lindh declared. Georgia is an important partner in the context of regional cooperation between the countries of the Southern Caucasus, she stressed.