Georgian, EU Foreign Ministers Meet in Luxembourg

Georgian Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili met her counterparts from about twenty EU member states on a sideline of EU foreign ministerial council in Luxembourg on April 20.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and EU commissioner for neighbourhood policy and enlargement negotiations Johannes Hahn also participated in the “Friends of Georgia” meeting, arranged by Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák.

Lajčák said that the meeting was a good opportunity to exchange views on Tbilisi’s expectations from Eastern Partnership (EaP) summit in Riga on May 21-22.

He said that the Georgian Foreign Minister made “a very strong point particularly with regard to visa liberalisation.”

At the Riga summit Tbilisi wants the EU to pave the way for Georgia’s visa-free travel with the Schengen area. Decision will depend on the European Commission’s report, which is expected to be presented before the Riga summit and which will detail how Georgia is fulfilling its reform commitments under the visa liberalisation action plan – a set of detailed requirements that a country should meet in order to be granted short-term visa-free regime in the Schengen area.

“I believe that this was a very useful meeting both for Georgia and ministers of the European Union, because we are getting closer to the Riga summit; we are working on the declaration and as Georgia is one of the frontrunners, one of the best performing countries in the Eastern Partnership program, this was a good opportunity for [the Georgian] foreign minister to present the progress your country has made,” the Slovak Foreign Minister told the Georgian Public Broadcaster.
 
“I think that meeting was a clear recognition of a good work done by you government in implementing the political association and economic integration with the European Union and at the same time minister Beruchashvili made a very clear message of expectations of the Georgian people with regard to visa liberalisation,” he said.
 
Lajčák said that after the Georgian Foreign Minister’s presentation, EU foreign policy chief Mogherini, Commissioner Hahn and number of EU foreign ministers spoke and “appreciated all the efforts” of Georgia and “paid attention to things that are important from our perspective.”

Latvian Foreign Minister, Edgars Rinkēvičs, whose country holds EU’s rotating presidency and will be hosting the Eastern Partnership summit next month, said after the meeting that Georgia is one of the leading EaP countries in terms of carrying out reforms.

“Georgia’s progress with the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan should receive appropriate consideration at the Riga summit,” Rinkēvičs said.

He also said that “it is equally important for Georgia to proceed with reforms in the justice system thereby ensuring the independence of the judiciary and the prosecution service.”

Foreign Minister Beruchashvili said that the meeting was “a clear demonstration that Georgia has a huge support.”

“Georgia is considered to be a country, which has been the most successful among the Eastern Partnership countries in carrying out reforms – Georgia is a frontrunner in all the areas,” she said. “This assessment should be appropriately reflected in a declaration of the Riga summit.”

She said that security and stability in Georgia and in the region was also discussed, especially in the context of Russia’s recent moves, involving its “alliance” treaties with breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which has been condemned by Tbilisi as a step towards “annexation” of these “occupied territories.”

Later on April 20, EU foreign ministers met their counterparts from Eastern Partnership countries in Luxembourg to discuss preparations for the Riga summit.