Georgian officials hail Eastern Partnership Programme

The Eastern Partnership Programme is very important for both Georgia and the EU member countries, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said on Saturday. Speaking at a special press conference, the Minister noted that the declaration, signed on May 6 in Prague, envisages promoting human rights, democracy and regional partnership. Vashadze stressed that the programme is not aimed against any “third country” and does not envisage creating ‘spheres of influence.’ “Our aim remains clear. We want to propose a well-thought out programme to the EU and travel the road leading to a simplified visa regime, free trade and the signing of an association agreement as soon as possible,” Vashadze noted.

The Eastern Partnership Declaration, first drafted by the EU last December, was signed by six post-Soviet countries: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, and is aimed at deepening the ties between these states and the European Union. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who attended the summit in Prague, said the Eastern Partnership was Europe’s “very dignified” response to the August war, however adding that “it might be a bit late.”

“This is a historic day for Georgia,” the President said. “We are becoming an institutional part of the EU space, which means we have a chance to conduct free trade with the European Union, achieve a three and fourfold increase in Georgia’s exports to Europe, as see hundreds of millions additional revenues come into Georgia. I hope this year we will see simplified visa rules with the EU and that Georgians will face no barriers on their road to the European Union. We are no longer members of the CIS, but we are now entering the space which has a larger market and offers many more opportunities – the common European space,” he added.

President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso said that the Eastern Partnership is the best tool the EU can use to draw closer to its neighbouring states. “This programme will help six countries carry out the reforms necessary for meeting the required standards,” Barroso noted.

The State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration, Giorgi Baramidze, who also attended the Eastern Partnership Summit, said that by signing the declaration Georgia has moved to the new stage of relations with the EU. He said that the Eastern Partnership does not address the issue of Georgia’s possible membership of the EU in the near future, but will significantly promote EU integration processes and give Georgia additional opportunities for further deepening its relations with the EU and deepening political dialogue between the sides.

When the EU announced the Eastern Partnership Programme initiative in December 2008 Jose Manuel Barroso said that the August war in Georgia had “prompted the EU to act in this direction.” Barroso noted that the plan was not aimed at creating spheres of influence or drawing new division lines in Europe. European Commission officials have said that EUR 600 million will be allocated for the project in 2010-2013. EUR 350 million will be fresh funding, the rest will be a redeployment of funds from existing EU aid projects in the region.