EU Hails Georgia’s Reforms

In an address to the European Parliament’s plenary session on October 13, both the EU’s High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and the EU’s external relations commissioner Chris Patten hailed reforms being carryied out by Georgian authorities.

“A good start has been made in addressing the structural problems facing Georgia, tackling, for example, endemic corruption, which has harmed every facet of life in Georgia,” Chris Patten was quoted by RFE/RL as saying.

Patten also said that the South Caucasus region “is an extremely important part of the common neighborhood of the European Union and Russia.

“We’ll continue to place this region high on [the agenda] of our bilateral dialogue with Russia,” he added.

In June, 2004, the EU included the South Caucasus region’s three states – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia into the European Neighborhood Policy.

Following this decision, the EU launched a Rule of Law mission in Georgia. Experts from the EU member states will assist Georgia in reforming its criminal justice system.

In addition, the EU announced in June that its assistance to Georgia for 2004-2006 will amount to USD 164 million – twice as much as the previous 3-year period.

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