EU mediator extends his stay in Tbilisi

By Khatia Bzhalava

Tuesday, March 16

“We knew from the beginning that what we are doing here is difficult. We have been working hard, and we have seen progress… It is clear that we need some more time,” said Christian Danielsson, a special envoy of the European Council President.

“Georgia is an essential partner for the EU. That’s why the EU is actively involved in the negotiation process,” Christian Danielsson stated after the series of meetings held in Tbilisi on Sunday.

European Council President Charles Michel’s personal envoy to mediate Georgia’s political crisis talks, Christian Danielsson, who was scheduled to have left Georgia after March 14 meetings, announced at the press briefing on Sunday that he would extend his visit to Tbilisi ‘for an additional one day’. According to Georgian opposition parties, Danielsson will stay in Tbilisi until the parties come to an agreement on the issues of repeat parliamentary elections and the release of opposition leader Nika Melia.

Earlier that day, Danielsson met with the Georgian Dream twice, he also met with the leaders of the opposition parties and held a separate meeting with the leaders of the National Movement and the Republican Party. Irakli Kobakhidze, Chairman of the Georgian Dream announced after the meeting of the leaders of the ruling team with the EU mediator that the meetings were over and dialogue would continue after the visit of the Georgian delegation to Brussels. However, Danielsson noted later that despite the progress that had been seen as a result of hours of meetings, “it is clear that we need some more time. This is for the parties to find the way forward and I'm trying to help them by doing that,” said Danielsson.

Yesterday, on the 4th day of Danielsson’s visit to Tbilisi, he met with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili. As the Administration of the President reports, at their second meeting held at the Orbeliani Palace, Zurabishvili and Danielsson discussed the negotiations ongoing between the government and the opposition. Danielsson held his first meeting with the President of Georgia on the first day of his arrival in Tbilisi.

Earlier yesterday, the EU mediator also met with the opposition.

“We continue working and there are serious issues that remain to be resolved and it is important that the parties, who have been constructive, continue to see the need for compromises,” noted Danielsson after the meeting.

Danielsson also met with the leaders of the ruling party - chairman of the Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairman of the Georgian Parliament Archil Talakvadze, and GD party member Shalva Papuashvili. The meeting at the EU delegation office was attended by US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan as well.