EU Delegation Meets Opposition

Opposition politicians, who met with visiting EU delegation, led by Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, said that they discussed issues related with upcoming local elections and the country’s security.

Irakli Alasania, leader of Alliance for Georgia; MP Giorgi Targamadze, leader of Christian-Democratic Movement and of parliamentary minority; Salome Zourabichvili, the leader of Georgia’s Way and Zurab Nogaideli, ex-PM and leader of Movement for Fair Georgia participated in the meeting. A representative from ex-parliamentary chairperson Nino Burjanadze’s party, Democratic Movement-United Georgia, was also participating in the meeting; Burjanadze is visiting Moscow. 

After the meeting, MP Giorgi Targamadze said that he openly expressed protest over "the decisions recently taken by one of the EU-member state" – referring to possible French-Russian deal on Mistral warships. "It is totally incomprehensible why one country should be endangering security of Eastern Europe because of its commercial interests," he said.

Before the meeting MP Targamadze said: "Georgia wants peace, but not at any expense; the price [of peace] should in no way be disintegration of our country. For that reason EU should not only protect Georgia’s interests, but first and foremost, it should insist on Russia to follow its commitments undertaken before the European Union [under the ceasefire accord]. De-occupation of Georgia and creation of more security guarantees is not only Georgia’s vital interest, but also a prerequisite of stability in Eastern Europe."

Before the meeting Salome Zourabichvili said: "We need EU not just for making statements and telling privately to Saakashvili that elections should be democratic; we need EU’s meaningful support in order to secure fair elections."

Irakli Alasania, who is running for Tbilisi mayoral race in the May local elections, emphasized on media, depoliticizing of law enforcement agencies, voters list and other election-related issues. He said upcoming local elections would be Georgia’s test in democracy. Alasania also said that EU’s role in making Russia to follow its ceasefire accord commitments was also discussed.

Zurab Nogaideli told journalists before the meeting: "I will focus on EU-Georgia relations and prospects for Georgia’s reunification and EU’s role in this process."

The Spanish Foreign Minister, whose country holds EU’s rotating presidency, arrived in Tbilisi on March 3, as part of his trip to South Caucasus states,
 
Moratinos was paying visit on behalf of EU foreign affairs and security chief Catherine Ashton.

After meeting with his Spanish counterpart, Georgia Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said that visa facilitation and readmission agreement between Georgia and EU was already ready and it would probably be signed by the end of spring. He said there was "high probability" that talks on deep and comprehensive free trade agreement, as well as on association agreement would be launched also by the end of spring.

Davit Bakradze, the Georgian parliamentary chairman, said after the meeting with the EU delegation, that he hoped EU’s Spanish presidency would mark progress in visa facilitation, free trade and association agreements between Georgia and EU.

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