2018-07-13
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze held a meeting today with the European Commission's Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides as part of the latter's official visit to the country.
The parties discussed the priorities of Georgia-EU cooperation and emphasized Georgia's progress toward European integration and in the implementation of reforms.
According to Christos Stylianides, EU visa-free waiver and the DCFTA are clear demonstrations and confirmations of the country's success.
In addition, the Georgian Government's steps toward overcoming visa liberalization-related challenges were also commended.
During the meeting, special emphasis was placed on the emergency situation and crisis management reforms. As it was underlined, steps in this direction will significantly increase the effectiveness of prevention, readiness, and response to disasters caused by both natural and human factors. The role of volunteers and the importance of their engagement was also pointed out.
Special attention was also paid to the administrative agreement signed today between the Emergency Management Service and the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid. According to the parties, this cooperation will promote the further integration of Georgia's Emergency Management Service into the EU civil protection mechanism.
The Prime Minister emphasized the EU's role in the process of the implementation of the Government's reforms and personally thanked Christos Stylianides for his help in the effective crisis management.
For his part, the European Commissioner pointed out that the EU will continue its active and firm support of Georgia as its strategic and reliable partner in a variety of directions. According to him, the EU stands by the Georgian people and the Georgian Government.
According to Christos Stylianides, the Government of Georgia has taken giant steps toward the modernization of the Emergency Management Service, also commending future plans seeking to develop the service, including in terms of institutional advancement, human resources, technologies, infrastructure, and technical equipment.
In addition, the Prime Minister underlined Georgia's readiness to become more active in international formats in order to share the EU's experience.
The dialogue during the meeting also covered the regional situation, and the EU reaffirmed its staunch support of Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders.
The meeting between the Prime Minister and the European Commissioner was attended by EU Ambassador to Georgia Janos Herman, Deputy Foreign Minister Vakhtang Makharoblishvili, and Head of the Emergency Management Service Giorgi Mghebrishvili.
Prime Minister's Press Office