EU gives Georgia green light

The European Union (EU) promises Georgia not only the Association Agreement, but also to accelerate the process. This has been a very successful development for Georgia. Luckily the prediction of the former Georgian government that the country could have problems with the EU did not come true.

The Eastern Partnership Summit will be held in Vilnius on November 28-29, 2013. The EU is ready to implement the agreement with Georgia in the shortest period of time.

Prime Minister Ivanishvili attributes this process of speeding-up the association agreement coming into force to the achievements of Georgia’s current government. “They saw the handwriting of our team – how clearly the country’s government continues its democratic buildup of the country,” said PM.

Georgian Member of Parliament, Giorgi Volski, thinks that this is the recognition by the EU officials of Georgia’s democratic development towards the European standards.

The First Deputy Foreign Minister, Davit Zalkaliani, thinks that the agreement on association membership will be signed before the fall of 2014 before the mandate of the current European Commissioner expires. And this will happen on October 31, 2014.

The Association Agreement will come into force after each of the member countries expresses their consent. Meanwhile, Georgia’s relevant government bodies have to officially adopt the document in a very short period of time.

The Eastern Partnership providing association membership of the EU is a very efficient instrument for any country which gives much advantage to Georgia in regards of free trade, political safety, and other issues.

Association membership is not of course a full membership, but it is the closest possible relationship with the EU in the direction of trade, visa regimes, and many other directions.

However, Georgia’s steps towards full EU membership are still on the agenda.