The 7th meeting of the EU-Georgia Association Council will take place in Brussels on 6 September.

The meeting will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili. EU High Representative Josep Borrell will lead the EU delegation. 

The Association Council will discuss EU-Georgia relations against the background of Georgia’s application for EU membership, with a focus on political dialogue and reforms, economic and sectoral cooperation, trade and trade-related issues, as well as peaceful conflict resolution.

Representatives of the EU and Georgia will also exchange views on foreign and security policy, in particular on regional issues.

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Press release

The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska will join the ‘Women in Conflicts’ event in Brussels on 9 June. 

The event will bring together women leaders and survivors of conflicts and will

be co-hosted by the President of the European Council Charles Michel.

The event, co-hosted with UN Women, Nadia’s Initiative and the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation, will focus on survivors, justice and reparation, and women’s leadership in conflict.

This second edition is a follow-up to the ‘Women in Conflicts’ organised in New York City on 21 September 2021.

The event will be broadcast live on Council live and social media channels: Twitter: (https://twitter.com/eucopresident, https://twitter.com/eucouncil), Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/CharlesMichel, https://www.facebook.com/eucouncil), LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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Press release

During his working visit to Brussels, The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili held meetings with the European Commissioners for Transport, Environment Crisis Management,  Adina Vălean,  Virginius Sinkevičius  and Janez Lenarčič.
During the meetings with the European Commissioners, the sides focused on the current priorities and directions of Georgia-EU cooperation, the reforms implemented to bring Georgia to EU standards, and the dynamic process of implementation of the Association Agreement.
The sides paid special attention to Georgia's application for EU membership, opening up a new stage of relations between Georgia and the EU. It was highlighted how important it is to reflect Georgia’s EU integration progress in relevant EU decisions and future plans.
At the meeting with Adina Vălean, the European Commissioner for Transport highlighted the important role of Georgia as a regional transport and logistics hub connecting Europe and Asia. The sides agreed to continue working on common priorities under the EU Connectivity Strategy.
During the meeting with the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, the sides positively assessed EU-Georgia cooperation in the field of crisis management, including measures taken by Georgia to manage the COVID pandemic and the EU assistance in this process.
The meeting with the European Commissioner for Environment, Virginius Sinkevičius  focused on the possibilities of further integration with the EU, especially in priority areas such as environment and climate change.
At the meeting with the European Commissioners, the sides agreed to continue active work to implement the Association Agreement and the priorities set out in the new Association Agenda 2021-2027.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia pays a working visit to Brussels on 1-2 June. During the visit, Ilia Darchiashvili hold parallel meetings with the European Commissioners at the European Parliament.

MFA of Georgia

European Union members will reach an agreement on a new sanctions package against Russia, including imposing restrictions on Russian oil imports, during the ongoing summit in Brussels, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said in an interview with France Info today.

“We need to decide unanimously. There were tough talks yesterday afternoon, as well as this morning. I think that this afternoon, we will be able to offer to the heads of the member states an agreement,” said Borrell.

European Union governments have so far failed to reach agreement on an embargo on Russian oil. “We have to take the individual circumstances of everybody into account,” Borrell said.

He  added that an EU-wide solution should give the three countries which accounted for 7% to 8% of Russian oil imports – Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia – “more time to adjust”.

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Press release

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili met with his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Relations Council in Brussels.
The sides focused on Georgia's historic aspirations for Europe and the steps taken in this direction, including the applications for European Union membership by the Associated Trio countries of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia and the procedures related to their self-assessment questionnaires.
The Ministers noted France's support for the European aspirations of the three states, highlighting the country’s role in the process given the French Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The ministers expressed the hope that the EU member states will support the European aspirations of the countries by granting them candidate status for membership.
The meeting also focused on the security environment in region and the challenges facing Georgia, as well as recent developments in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions. Minister Le Drian reaffirmed the French Government’s firm support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Speaking about bilateral relations, Darchiashvili and Le Drian also reviewed relations between their states within the format of the Dimitri Amilakhvari French-Georgian political dialogue. The two ministers agreed to start preparations for the next meeting under the dialogue.

MFA of Georgia

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, as part of his ongoing working visit to Brussels, is holding a series of high-level meetings with the leaders of various European institutions.
This two-day visit includes today's meeting with Charles Michel, President of the European Council. Georgia's EU membership bid and granting the status of a candidate to the country were the key issues discussed.
During the meeting, the parties held extensive discussions on the process of reviewing Georgia's application, including the European Commission's questionnaire, with both of its parts completed by Georgia ahead of schedule, also the country's progress toward implementing the Association Agreement and carrying out democratic reforms. The Prime Minister underlined Georgia's historical choice to return to the European family, emphasizing in this context the importance of the European Commission's opinion and the European Council's decision on granting Georgia the status of a candidate country.
The parties also discussed the region's security situation in light of Russia's military aggression in Ukraine, including the state of affairs in Georgia's occupied territories. The Prime Minister reaffirmed the solidarity and unwavering support of the Georgian Government and people for Ukraine. According to Garibashvili, ending the war in Ukraine is crucially important to all, and the consequences of this war will define the future of both the whole world and Georgia.
Irakli Garibashvili thanked Charles Michel for his personal effort toward supporting Georgia's path to European integration.

Press Service of the Government Administration

I am departing for Brussels today, to hold high-level meetings; naturally, we will have discussions around our recently submitted questionnaire, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated during today's Cabinet meeting.

According to the Prime Minister, he is scheduled to meet with the NATO Secretary General, President Charles Michel of the European Council, the President of the European Parliament, and other senior officials.

"As you know, we completed the questionnaire ahead of schedule. Once again, I am thankful to all public servants engaged, the Ministers and the Cabinet as a whole, every institution, the Parliament, for making sure that the questionnaire is completed and submitted to the EU on time. I am about to have top-level meetings in Brussels on this and other issues. I will also meet with the NATO Secretary General, President Charles Michel of the European Council, the President of the European Parliament, and other senior officials. We will inform the public on the outcomes in due course," Irakli Garibashvili said.

Press Service of the Government Administration

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili will participate in the 6^th meeting of the Georgia-EU Association Council, in Brussels. The Government delegation led by the Head of Government departed for Brussels today.

The visit includes high-level meetings in the European Commission, the European Council and the Parliament, and NATO.

Irakli Garibashvili will hold his first meeting today, with President of the European Council Charles Michel.

On March 16, after the Georgia-EU Association Council's meeting, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, and European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhely will hold a joint press conference.

On March 17, high-level meetings will be held in the European Parliament and NATO. The Head of Georgian Government will be hosted by the Alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, at NATO headquarters. After the meeting, Irakli Garibashvili and Jens Stoltenberg will hold a joint press conference. The NATO-Georgia Commission is also scheduled to convene.

The Georgian delegation led by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili consists of Vice Prime Minister, Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natia Turnava, and Justice Minister Gocha Lortkipanidze.

Press Service of the Government Administration

Within the framework of his visit to Brussels, the Georgian Foreign Minister, David Zalkaliani, held a meeting with the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Policy, Olivér Várhelyi.

The discussion touched upon cooperation within the format of the “Eastern Partnership Initiative”, including the framework of Ministerials for Foreign Ministers and meetings for the leaders of member states. Namely, the discussion took place regarding issues associated with the upcoming summit and future perspectives of the partnership beyond the year of 2020.

The parties, once again, exchanged opinions regarding the priorities and views of the Georgian side.

The Georgian party expressed gratitude towards the EU for the active support provided to Georgia during the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, the EU Commissioner gave a positive assessment of the steps taken on behalf of the Georgian Government in terms of preventing the spread of the virus.

The developments and general situation on the ground in the occupied territories was also discussed, condemning the illicit activity of the occupational forces, which only became more distinct during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns were expressed regarding the illicit detainment and arrest of the Georgian citizen on the 11th of July perpetrated by the occupational regime forces.

The role of the EU was underscored in terms of finding a peaceful resolution of the conflict, outlining the significance of the EUMM (EU monitoring mission) as a preventive force in the occupied regions on the ground, deescalating the situation via the means of the monitoring process.

On 14 May, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker hosted a high-level conference on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership.

The conference brought together Heads of State or Government of the Eastern partner countries, foreign ministers of the EU Member States, civil society representatives, business leaders, young people and journalists from across the 34 countries. High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini, Commissioner Johannes Hahn and Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström, also participated in the event.

“The Eastern Partnership is fundamentally a future-oriented partnership for the citizens and with the citizens; firmly focussed on what is important for them. Together we are working towards stronger economies, stronger governance, stronger connectivity and stronger societies”, said President Juncker. “We have put in place ambitious Association Agreements and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine and citizens of these countries also benefit from visa free travel for short stays in the EU. 125,000 loans have been provided to businesses in the Eastern Partnership, of which half are in local currency, and we have contributed to the creation of over 30,000 jobs in the region. And our trade has increased with each of the six Eastern Partnership countries, which together are the EU’s 10th trading partner. I would like us to continue to focus on the content of what we believe we should do together so that our Partnership can keep its promises.”

The conference’s participants discussed the developments of the partnership during this first decade and exchanged views on its future.

Ten years ago, in May 2009, the Heads of State or Government and representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine gathered with high-level EU officials in Prague to strengthen mutual ties of friendship and cooperation and to launch a strategic and ambitious partnership, as a specific dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy to be developed alongside bilateral cooperation.

This joint endeavour, in an effort to build a more prosperous, resilient, stable and democratic region, was based on shared values, mutual interests and commitments, bringing the Eastern partner countries closer to the EU and developing stronger ties among the partner countries themselves, for the benefit of all.