Tbilisi, Georgia, Dec.9
By Nana Kirtzkhalia - Trend:
After the Vilnius summit the major task of the Georgian government is to sign the association agreement in September 2014, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Dec.9 at a conference titled "Eastern Partnership - way after Vilnius summit".
The country is moving to the phase of intense actions, according to the prime minister.
"At the Vilnius summit we signed a framework agreement with which we confirmed that Georgia is ready to contribute to the European security together with the European Union. Thus, Georgia becomes a reliable partner of the European Union in the sphere of stability and peace," the prime minister said.
It is gratifying that the European Commission positively assessed and highlighted the tremendous progress made by Georgia in the first phase of the visa liberalization action plan and will bring results in the near future, according to Garibashvili.
"It is very significant that at the Vilnius summit we presented not only the achieved results, but also started a new stage of cooperation with the European Union. Now we are moving to the phase of real activities and are ready to turn our commitments into concrete actions, as a result of which our citizens will feel and enjoy all the benefits that will bring us closer to Europe," Garibashvili said.
He added, "I would like to thank the European Union and member states for strong support. Meanwhile, I want to express hope that the European Union will be more active and more purposeful in the process of peaceful settlement of the conflict which is very important for our country. Especially, in this context, the EU observation mission is the main guarantor of stability and security in Georgia and is the only international mechanism."
Large scale military action was launched in South Ossetia on August 8, 2008. Later, Russian troops occupied Tskhinvali and expelled the Georgian military.
Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in late August. In response, Tbilisi ended diplomatic relations with Moscow and has called the two unrecognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia occupied territories.
Translated by L.Z.
Edited by C.N.