Azernews.Az

By Jamila Babayeva

The association agreement is only a stage towards European integration for Georgia.

Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze made the remark at an extended meeting of the Vishegrad Group in Budapest on April 29.

Georgia initialed Association Agreement with the EU at the Vilnius summit on November 29, 2013. Signing the Agreement is scheduled for August 2014, and Tbilisi said it can be signed by or even before June, 2014.

During her speech Panjikidze reaffirmed Georgia's aim of European integration as a cornerstone of the country's foreign and domestic policy.

She briefed the audience on Georgia's plans prior to the Riga Summit, and underlined her country's strong desire to sign its Association Agreement with the EU no later than in June.

High-ranking officials of the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, all six countries of Eastern Partnership, as well as Estonia and Greece as an EU presiding country, as well as European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule and other EU officials attended the meeting.

The progress achieved by the Eastern Partnership countries and prospects of the initiative development were discussed at the meeting. The importance of this meeting, especially amid the events in the region, as well as taking into account the signing of the association agreement by Georgia and Moldova this year was stressed.