I can state with all assuredness that our relations with the European Union and our EU integration are at an all-time high, –  Georgian Prime Minister said at the joint meeting of the Government Commission on EU Integration and the State Commission on NATO Integration.

According to the Head of Government, Georgia is successfully implementing its responsibilities to the EU.

“Important reforms have been carried out in terms of both legislative and institutional alignment, a mandatory precondition for the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration. However, greater effort is in order. I believe that we have sufficient resources to fulfill a part of our obligations ahead of schedule,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

The meeting was provided with information about the 5th Meeting of the Georgia-EU Association Council on March 5 in Brussels, during which the Georgian side will present the EU Integration Roadmap.

“At the meeting, together with the EU side, we will summarize our progress toward European integration and present the EU Integration Roadmap, a very important document enabling us to consolidate our progress under European integration and to take further steps beyond the Association Agreement, toward deeper and more comprehensive integration, including sectoral integration,” Mamuka Bakhtadze said.

Special attention during the meeting was paid to the process of visa-free travel to the EU. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of making sure that the process works flawlessly.

“I would like to dedicate a portion of our meeting to discussing the process of visa-free travel to the EU/Schengen Area. Ensuring a flawless visa-waiver process is one of our Government’s top priorities because, besides practical benefits, visa-free travel also carries political weight,” the Head of Government underscored.

The joint meeting of the commissions approved Georgia’s Annual National Program, one of the crucial NATO membership mechanisms. Similarly, Georgia’s progress toward NATO integration was singled out.

“Georgia is a special and reliable partner to NATO, as evidenced by the strong messages we heard at the recent Munich Security Conference. This year, we are hosting NATO’s Secretary General, Military Committee, and North Atlantic Council, which is a great honor and, at the same time, responsibility. Still, all this reiterates that Georgia-NATO relations have advances to a new level,” the Prime Minister pointed out.

The joint meeting of the Government Commission on EU Integration and the State Commission on NATO Integration, chaired by the Prime Minister, discussed eight issues from the meeting agenda. Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani presented an annual progress report on the 2018 National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Association Agenda and DCFTA. The meeting also approved the 2019 National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Association Agenda and discussed events to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership.

Information released by Prime Minister’s Press Office