Georgia, Tbilisi, July 22 / Trend N. Kirtzkhalia /
The Georgian-EU talks on free trade finished, Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Giorgi Kvirikashvili said at a briefing on Monday.
"Today we can officially say that the final details were agreed and negotiations on free and comprehensive trade with the EU finished," he said.
The minister said that this is a "very important action" on the eve of the Vilnius summit of "Eastern Partnership" scheduled for November.
"This agreement envisages not only the liberalization of tariffs, but the removal of technical barriers for Georgian products and services to appear on the European market," he said. "It is important that it covers 28 countries in which more than half a billion people live."
The minister said that today the EU is Georgia's largest trading partner.
"The trade turnover with the EU hits $ 28 billion, import hits $24 billion and exports - $ 400 million," he added. "The legal expertise of the agreement started. It is being prepared for the signing. A long process of the negotiations has shown that Georgia has relations with European partners based on mutual trust."