EU reiterate sovereignty of Georgia
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, May 23
The EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security and Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, stresses that the EU supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and highlighted that the organisation remained committed to the non-recognition policy of the occupied territories of Georgia.
The EU official said this due to uproar in Georgia over a statement by an EU diplomat, Herbert Salber, who congratulated the de facto president of South Ossetia after his election to the post.
Mogherini made her statement when she met Georgia’s Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, in Jordan within the ongoing economic forum.
The Government of Georgia's press office reported that the European and Euro-Atlantic integration process, the ongoing reforms in the country and the Eastern Partnership summit were discussed at the working dinner.
The Prime Minister expressed his hope that the summit planned in Brussels in November will be focused on practical results.
Kvirikashvili also noted that Georgia continues to implement the Association Agreement and the Association Agenda for 2017-2020.
After making the statement in de facto Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), Salber was summoned to Georgia’s Foreign Ministry, where he stated he fully shared the EU’s position to Georgia’s occupied territories and supported Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
However, he did not explain why he made the statement in Tskhinvali.
The Georgian parliamentary opposition still demands that Salber take responsibility for his words and be removed as co-chair of Geneva International Talks, where Georgia’s conflict issues are discussed.
