EU Foreign Ministers on Georgia

EU foreign ministers focused on parliamentary elections and Georgia-Russian tensions in a statement issued after the External Relations Council meeting in Brussels on May 26.

“The Council examined the situation in Georgia following the parliamentary elections held on 21 May 2008 which were an important test for democracy,” the Council conclusions read. “The Council congratulated the people of Georgia on the peaceful conduct of the elections, welcomed the efforts made by Georgian authorities since the last elections and urged them to take all necessary steps to address the shortcomings and problems identified by the OSCE-led International Election Observation Mission.”

These remarks are in line with the preliminary conclusions made by the OSCE/ODIHR-led international observation mission, which said “despite efforts to conduct elections in line with standards, a number of problems were identified which made their implementation uneven and incomplete.”

“The Council stressed the need for constructive dialogue between the government and the opposition to agree on the way forward,” the EU External Relations Council conclusions say. “It emphasised the importance of stability in Georgia and in the region and urged all parties concerned to respect the rule of law and to use only democratic and peaceful means in seeking to resolve political differences.”

The Council has reiterated the EU’s support to Georgia’s territorial integrity and underlined that it was “essential now to reduce the risk of further escalation and take steps towards normalisation of relations” between Russia and Georgia.

“The Council emphasised that all parties should tone down public rhetoric and abstain from provocations and implementation of decisions that undermine the above principles,” it said.

It also noted about UN observer’s investigation into the April 20 downing o the Georgian drone over Abkhazia, which says that the drone was shot down by the fighter jet belonging to the Russian air forces.

“The Council “looked forward to discussing its results as soon as possible,” EU foreign ministers said.

The document also says that EU is considering “means of strengthening economic cooperation with Georgia and, if the necessary conditions are met, the possibility of a deep and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.”