Zourabichvili Pushes Georgian ENP Action Plan in Talks with Straw

Visiting Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili, who met with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in London on October 11, expressed concern regarding the delays in launching talks over Georgia?s EU Neighborhood Policy (ENP), the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported on Wednesday.

Salome Zourabichvili called on the UK, which currently holds the EU Presidency, to pay more attention to these talks, which are expected to develop Georgia?s ENP action plan.

?I would prefer talks to continue longer rather than work for 3 or 4 years in accordance to [an ineffective action] plan which will be unacceptable for the Georgian side and which will not reflect the Georgian side?s demands,? Salome Zourabichvili was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the Georgian Foreign Ministry on October 12.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, talks over the ENP action plan have been postponed by the EU twice. The reason for the delay has been cited as a problem which emerged in the relationship between Azerbaijan and Cyprus. Azerbaijan is at odds with Cyprus, as Baku strives for closer ties with the Turkish Cypriot authorities.

The EU adheres to a policy of equal treatment towards all three countries of the South Caucasus region in the process of talks, but according to the EU?s representative to the region Heikki Talvitie, if Azerbaijan fails to normalize its ties with the EU-member state, the European Union will launch separate talks with Georgia and Armenia alone.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, during the talks in London the British Foreign Secretary assured Salome Zourabichvili that the UK will pay more attention to the development of Georgia’s ENP action plan in order to prepare the document by the end of 2005.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)