Azernews.Az

By Jamila Babayeva

Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze and her Lithuanian counterpart Linas Linkevičius signed a protocol on Georgia's involvement in EU programs in Brussels on December 12.

Panjikidze said that signing the protocol is another significant step towards rapprochement with the European Union.

Linkevičius, for his part, said the EU has offered Georgia programs in the fields of public health, culture, and scientific-research, as well as supporting small and medium enterprises.

"Georgia can participate in EU internal programs in accordance with the protocol," he said.

Georgian foreign minister has traveled to Brussels to attend the 14th plenary meeting of the Georgia-EU Cooperation Council.

The Cooperation Council constitutes the highest point of the institutional cooperation between Georgia and the EU. The Georgia-EU Cooperation Council meetings are held once a year as part of the political dialogue between the EU and Georgia.

Georgia initialed association agreement with the EU at a summit in Vilnius dedicated to the European Union's 'Eastern Partnership' countries - ex-Soviet states on November 29. Inking the document is just the first step in a ratification process for the EU association agreements that could take a year.

European Parliament (EP) supports early signing of association agreement between Georgia and EU.

EP welcomed the initialing of the trade and association agreements between Georgia, Moldova and the European Union (EU) at Vilnius summit and expressed hope that they will be signed as soon as possible, according to the European Parliament's resolution on the Eastern Partnership countries.

"The European Parliament calls on the European Commission to ensure that, the citizens of these countries were able to enjoy the benefits of these agreements in the short term" EP's statement reads.