European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle visited Georgia

European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle, arrived in Tbilisi on April 7 for a two day visit as part of his first trip to South Caucasus countries.

"Georgia is an important partner country within the European Neighbourhood Policy... This important visit will provide me with one more opportunity to stress the EU commitment to territorial integrity of Georgia", he said in a statement on April 6, day before visiting Georgia.

During his visit, the Commissioner together with the President of Georgia, Michael Saakashvili officially opened Europe House on Freedom Square in Tbilisi.

Mr. Füle also visited the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) and assessed the work of the EUMM as very essential in Georgia. "You know that we are not going to recognize independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We urge Russia to fulfill the terms of the ceasefire agreement, which includes admission of the monitors to the occupied territories as one of the points. We shall put up the question during the meeting with Russian officials", he promised.

At the meetings with Georgian officials, priority issues on EU-Georgia relations, ongoing developments in Georgia, preparation for upcoming local elections, current situation on the occupied territories, importance of EUMM with a view to ensuring security in Georgia and urgency of fully exercise of its mandate, as well as the cooperation in scope of Eastern Partnership Initiative with a view to promoting Georgia's EU integration were discussed.

Commissioner Füle also met the representatives of the opposition.

During the visit Füle and Georgia's State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration, Giorgi Baramidze, signed a memorandum of understanding on allocation of EUR 180,29 million support from EU for the period 2011-2013.

According to EU Delegation to Georgia, the funding will support the strengthening of democratic institutions, focusing also on media freedom, political pluralism, human rights and civil society. It was stated that "considerable part of these funds" is aimed at continued reforms in the justice system, management of the public finances, as well as export and 2 investment promotion, including through market and regulatory reforms and preparation for a future Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the EU.

Georgia has already negotiated visa facilitation and readmission agreements with EU. Signing and entry into force of these agreements are undergoing through EU’s internal decisionmaking procedures. President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy said on March 16 that it would be "soon possible" to launch talks with Georgia on Association Agreement, including a deep and comprehensive free trade treaty.