Germany calls for rapid signing of Georgia-EU agreement
By Jamila Babayeva
Germany expresses support to the European integration of Georgia and calls for rapid signing of an association agreement between the EU and Georgia.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier met his Georgian counterpart Maia Panjikidze in Berlin. After the meeting, he said the issue of signing the agreement was one of the main topics of the conversation with his Georgian counterpart.
Georgia initialed association agreement with the EU at the Vilnius summit dedicated to the European Union's 'Eastern Partnership' countries - ex-Soviet states on November 29, 2013. The signing of the Association Agreement is scheduled for August 2014.
Recently, Georgian State Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Alexi Petriashvili said the association agreement will be signed by June.
"We are pleased that the agreement will be signed by June or even before June," he said.
Steinmeier added that Georgia has made significant achievements in this field. "Georgia's reforms are the basis of close cooperation with influential international organizations," he noted.
He went to say that he will visit Georgia in 10 days. He was supposed to visit Georgia in early March, but the visit was postponed due to the events in Ukraine.
Panjikidze stressed the importance of Germany's support. "This is very important for Georgia to implement the European aspirations," Panjikidze added.