EU and Georgia celebrate the Europe Day
Monday, May 11
On 9th May the European Union and its member states mark Europe Day, which commemorates the historic 1950 Schuman declaration. Today, with 27 Member States and almost 446 million people, the EU marks the 70th anniversary of this declaration. The theme of 2020 Europe Day is Stronger Together, highlighting the need for solidarity particularly in the face of the Covid-19 crisis.
To mark 9 May, Europe Day EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has issued a statement. The Ambassador talked about the idea behind EU and the history of its success.
“Unfortunately, this year we cannot mark Europe Day together, as in previous years, because of the pandemic. Georgia has in many respects done better than others in tackling this challenge – thanks to strong political resolve, the support of a truly professional healthcare team and a dedicated population. Still, we recognize the hardships currently experienced by so many Georgians, whether for health or economic reasons. My thoughts go out to all those who are suffering today,” noted H.E. Hartzell.
Historically, cooperation and solidarity between the EU member states has resulted in over 60 years of unprecedented peace and prosperity on the European continent. In this current crisis, this solidarity is equally crucial and is what drove the EU and its Member States to quickly organize and provide each other hospital beds or announce EU wide financial support measures.
This solidarity also spreads beyond the borders of the European Union and to key partners. In the past weeks, the EU has committed almost 1.5 billion GEL to help manage the crisis in Georgia. These funds will go to medical equipment, support to vulnerable groups most impacted by the crisis, and financial assistance for economic recovery.
This cooperation is another step in the very close relationship between the EU and Georgia. The EU remains Georgia’s main donor, Georgia businesses have received access to the EU market, and over 500,000 Georgians have travelled without a visa free to Schengen countries. More EU programmes are active in Georgia than ever before, with over 7000 students have taken part in university exchanges, or over 40,000 Georgian business having received support from the EU.
(Source: EU )
