On December 6, on the second day of his working-visit in Brussels, the Prime Minister of Georgia Vladimer Gurgenidze met with the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union Javier Solana. The topic of the discussion touched upon deepening the EU-Georgia relations and the prospects of integration with the EU. During the dialogue, the upcoming presidential elections in Georgia were also discussed. According to Vladimer Gurgenidze's words, at the given stage, we must be focused on the elections and proper accomplishment of the process. It's so natural that this issue was thoroughly discussed, so that the constructive dialogue, that had already been started, should continue after January 5 as well. Being one of the members of the European family, Georgia should also tell the European friends (and the non-European ones as well) how the country is going to reduce, using the metaphoric language, the "waves and turbulences" to the minimum.
During the conversation with the European Commissionaire on External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner and the Deputy Secretary of State of the USA Daniel Fried, problems related to preparation for the elections and bringing Georgia closer to the European structures, as well as the questions of free trade and simplified customs procedure were discussed.
After the meeting with Daniel Fried, Valdimer Gurgenidze stated the following: "During the conversation we discussed the challenges which are already existent or may arise with regard to the conflict regions in particular. He briefed me on his own views and approaches to the Kosovo issue; we had a very telling and open dialogue". On his behalf, Daniel Fried asserted that recognizing Kosovo model as a precedent should be ruled out; this model has nothing to do with Georgia and therefore, it can create a precedent neither for Abkhazia and Osetia nor for the Prednestrovie region either.
One of the important moments to be emphasized is that within the framework of the visit, Vladimer Gurgenidze had a meeting with Peter Mandelson, the European Commissionaire on trade issues.
The press center of the Chancellery of the Government of Georgia