The Committee considered the Regional Convention on Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Preventive Origin Rules, introduced by the Deputy-Finance Minister, Giorgi Tabuashvili. Enactment of DCFTA allowed Georgia accessing to the Regional Convention, envisaging definition of the country of origin of goods according to the diagonal cumulation. Georgia is allowed enjoying diagonal cumulation with Turkey. After simplified processing, Georgian exporters have the opportunity to enjoy the preferential usage of introduction of production to EU market.
In view of usage of diagonal cumulation with Turkey, Georgia needs free trade regime between Georgia, EU and Turkey with identical origin rules in each party. Enactment of diagonal cumulation between Georgia, EU and Turkey grants additional possibility to Georgia to increase local manufacture through Turkish raw material, to attract export-oriented foreign investments and improve export index with EU.
“Currently, 23 countries have accessed the Convention. Georgia will have the opportunity to produce with Turkish and Moldovan raw material and export to EU and enjoy same preferences as granted to Georgia by EU”, - G. Tabuashvili stated.
“It is the continuation of the processes we have recently launched. We have already reflected the respective changes to the Protocol II to the Free Trade Agreement with Turkey. Accession to Convention will allow us using diagonal cumulation with EU and Turkey and use Turkish raw material for local production to be exported to EU markets as originated in Georgia”, - the Chair, Tamar Khulordava stated. The Committee supported the draft.
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Committee for European Union of the German Bundestag visits Tbilisi
A delegation from the committee for European Union affairs of the German Bundestag will visit Georgia from May 2nd to 5th, 2023. Members of the delegation are: Christian Petry (SPD, Head of delegation), Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU/CSU), Michael Sacher (BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN), Thomas Hacker (FDP) and Dr. Harald Weyel (AfD).
During the visit, meetings are planned with the Minister of Justice, H.E. Rati Bregadze, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, H.E. Levan Davitashvili, and Deputy Foreign Minister, H.E. Teimuraz Janjalia.
Furthermore, the delegation will hold talks with the Speaker of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili and the chairmen of several committees of the Georgian Parliament.
The program is completed by exchanges with representatives of civil society, the media, business and cultural institutions.
As Georgia submitted an application for membership to the European Union in March 2022 and has had the prospect of joining the EU since June 2022, the talks will concern necessary reforms and the structure of relations and cooperation between Georgia and the EU.
Against the background of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the focus will also be on coordinating questions of foreign and security policy, as well as on the regional effects of the war and geopolitical aspects.
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The EU Foreign Affairs Council took place on 24 April, with the situation in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova as priority topics.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed the EU ministers via video conference, and briefed them about the latest developments on the ground and Ukraine’s military priorities and needs, especially in terms of ammunition and missiles.
EU High Representative Josep Borrell highlighted that in total the EU and its member states have already facilitated the delivery to Ukraine of over €13 billion in military support.
He also updated ministers on EU military support to Ukraine in the context of the three-track plan. On track one, the EU adopted an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility worth €1 billion to address Ukraine’s most immediate needs. EU member states are also finalising work on track two, to facilitate joint procurement. Lastly, the European Commission will soon present concrete proposals on how to ramp up the European defence production capacity under track three.
Ministers were also informed about the activities of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine), which has already exceeded its initial target by training over 16,000 Ukrainian soldiers. The EU aims to train a total of 30,000 soldiers by the end of 2023.
EU Foreign Ministers also held an informal exchange with the Georgian Foreign Minister, Ilia Darchiashvili, and confirmed that Georgia has made significant progress in many key reforms. They also highlighted that rule of law, human rights, media, civil society and independent state institutions are important elements for each country aspiring to join the EU.
Concerning Moldova, the Foreign Affairs Council established a new civilian EU CSDP partnership mission (EUPM Moldova), reached a broad agreement on a new framework for sanctions against those who destabilise the country, and on allocating further €40 million coming from the European Peace Facility to support Moldova’s defence capabilities.
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EU celebrates family connections: photo contest winners announced at awards gala in Tbilisi
The six winners of the Family Connections photo contest have been announced at a gala awards event in Tbilisi on 31 March. Winners from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine take home a prize of €1,000 each.
The EUNEIGHBOURS EAST – FOTOFESTIWAL photo contest, funded by the European Union, invited professional photographers from the six Eastern Partnership countries to enter a set of photographs around the theme of Family Connections.
From a total of more than 400 entries, a team of five top international judges drew up a shortlist of three photographers from each country, who were all invited to the awards ceremony at the Tbilisi Photography & Multimedia Museum, where their photo stories were projected in an interactive display.
The gala awards event was hosted by Pawel Herczynski, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, and Nestan Nizharadze, the co-founder of Tbilisi Photography & Multimedia Museum, and attended by local celebrities, and media, bloggers and influencers from across the region.
Presenting the awards, Ambassador Pawel Herczynski said: “Through this photo contest, we are proud to showcase the EU’s commitment to fostering cultural exchange and promoting the power of photography as a tool for reflection and change. The theme of Family and family connections highlight the importance of our shared values and the role Family plays in shaping our societies. Congratulations to all the photographers for their creative and inspiring interpretations.”
The photo competition sought personal interpretations around the theme of ‘family connections’: how does family connect us to our roots, culture, traditions, attitudes and future? Which connections define a family and make us belong? How do these connections adapt to changing worlds, technology, conflict, love and loss?
The winning entries approached these themes from a wide range of personal approaches.
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The WHO Country Office in Ukraine, with support from the European Union and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated an additional 33 ambulances to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to enable the provision of emergency medical care to patients during the war. The handover of ambulances took place in Lviv, western Ukraine, on 27 March.
The donation includes 20 ambulances equipped with a stretcher and first aid equipment. They are intended for the non-critical transportation of patients. Another 13 ambulances, equipped with patient ventilators, oxygen supply, IV pumps, suction pumps, stretchers, medication bags, will allow for the transportation of seriously injured patients to health facilities.
The ambulances will be handed over to hospitals and emergency centres throughout the country, with a particular focus on eastern Ukraine.
“It is one of our top priorities to support the Ukrainian healthcare system, which has come under extreme pressure since the start of the war,” said Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management. “We are working with partners like WHO to ensure that medical professionals have the means and equipment to reach people in urgent need of medical assistance. These ambulances will save lives across the country, including in hard-to-reach areas.”
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced today that the European Union has disbursed another €1.5 billion in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.
“Our support helps keep Ukraine running, while defending itself,” wrote von der Leyen on Twitter. “And puts Ukraine firmly on its EU path by supporting reforms – good governance and financial stability, for example.”
On 17 January, the European Union disbursed the first €3 billion of the €18 billion of promised macro-financial assistance agreed in December 2022.
This emergency assistance aims to provide short-term financial relief, financing Ukraine’s immediate needs, rehabilitation of critical infrastructure and initial support towards sustainable post-war reconstruction, with a view to supporting Ukraine on its path towards European integration. The loans will have a 10-year grace period.
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