Georgian PM Speaks by Phone with German Chancellor

Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili said he had a “very fruitful” phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 29.

“She reiterated once again support towards our European aspirations,” Garibashvili said. “We spoke about situation in the region and in Georgia, as well as about reforms and progress made, especially over the past two years.”

“As you know Chancellor Merkel’s visit to Georgia is planned; I will refrain from specifying the dates at this stage,” he said.

Garibashvili also said that the Georgian government “is motivated to do everything and we have actually done everything in order to have Georgia’s progress acknowledged” at the EU’s Eastern Partnership summit in Riga on May 21-22.

“We hope that progress made by us and our people will be appreciated objectively,” Garibashvili added.

He said that government members will pay visits to some of the European capitals ahead of the Riga summit – Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani will visit France and Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri will pay visit to Germany.

Government’s all the efforts, he said, are aimed at getting “maximum results” from the Riga Eastern Partnership summit.

“We have done everything and we are doing everything to have maximum result,” Garibashvili said.

Although he did not specify what he would consider as “maximum result”, in late February Garibashvili said when visiting Brussels that Tbilisi was committed to fulfill all the benchmarks of the visa liberalisation action plan and “we expect that the [European] Commission will positively assess the accomplishments of our government and will issue a recommendation on visa waiver for short-term travel by citizens of Georgia.