2021-04-20
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili
Greetings,
After a brief pause, I am happy to be once again hosting President of the European Council Charles Michel.
We are thankful to President Michel for his personal engagement. His visit today clearly reiterates how important Georgia and its success is to the European Union.
President Michel, it was in this hall that you voiced your initiative for the first time. It happened on March 1 and was linked to mediation between the authorities and the opposition, with your personal and your special envoy's engagement. One month and 20 days later, I am proud and happy to see the result. An agreement has been reached, and the artificially created crisis in Georgia is over. For that, you deserve sincere gratitude. On behalf of our Government and our political team, I would like to thank you for your enormous effort toward reaching this concrete result. You have proved to be a genuine leader capable of holding mediation and negotiations under the aegis of the EU and producing concrete results.
Together, we have set an example of success, a precedent with the engagement of the EU and the US, together with Georgia. The artificially created political crisis has come to an end.
I also avail myself of this opportunity to thank your representative, Mister Christian Danielsson. Mandated and instructed directly by you, he was delegated to Georgia. He has worked hard and closely with our party and other political entities, the opposition.
It is of crucial importance that this agreement has been reached. Today Georgia is the winner. It is a leap forward, a step that will contribute to consolidating our society and overcoming the key challenges facing our country and our people today.
Georgia is the European Union's reliable partner. We reassured Mister President of Georgia's and the Georgian people's commitment to European aspirations and values that define the agenda of our cooperation with the EU and, at the same time, represent the cornerstone of our country's democratic development.
During the meeting, I reassured President Michel of our commitment to doubling our efforts toward reforming. Of course, we underscored our readiness to fulfill all obligations assumed under the Association Agreement, so that the country may be as ready as possible to apply for EU membership in 2024.
We also discussed the current agenda of EU-Georgia cooperation and steps to be taken, such as further integration into the EU's domestic market and measures seeking to align sectoral policies, also promoting and empowering physical integration into the EU, among others.
We also touched on foreign policy issues, notably the conflict between Georgia and Russia and occupation-related issues.
In conclusion, I once again thank President Michel for his extraordinary, truly unprecedented engagement and readiness to continue supporting our country on its path of complex reforms, the one designed ultimately to lead us into the EU.
President of the European Council Charles Michel
I am very happy to be back in Georgia, 6 weeks after my first visit. It is a pleasure to be here and meet with political leaders who will work together in the inclusive Parliament. Thank you, Prime Minister, for close contacts over the past few weeks, for your visit to Brussels and your courageous political choice, and vision of the country's future.
I express my appreciation for the opposition as well, for their commitment expressed in putting the differences aside.Compromise is a European strength, not weakness; it allows plurality of voices and collective intelligence to emerge. It is not time for anyone to sleep on laurel leaves. This is the moment to take up challenging reforms into Parliament and work toward them. These reforms are what Georgia needs. They will ensure your citizens' demands are better met, and they will also open up the path to deeper cooperation between Georgia and the EU.
The EU is Georgia's strongest partner. We share common values and we support your reforms to consolidate democracy and the rule of law. We also stand by you in fighting the current pandemic and its socioeconomic fallout. The EU and the Team Europe contributed 400 million euro to this goal, and the EU is with Georgia in our strong support to your sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders. Today, I am here to stress again the importance of our bilateral relationship, as well as cooperation in the Eastern Partnership Region, and I wish you, Dear Prime Minister, Dear Irakli, and all political leaders, all success along the path you have committed to. I trust it will advance your democracy, stability, and prosperity in closest cooperation with your European friends. Trust and confidence are key more than ever. I count on you, and you can count on us. Thank you.
Q (Public Broadcaster of Georgia): Mister President, with a new political situation emerging, and Georgia as an Eastern Partnership member state, and the Summit is planned, is it possible that the EU may consider offering new tools to Georgia for drawing closer, including given the fact that we hear similar initiatives raised in the European Parliament? For example, Kubilius said today that, while Georgia has an action plan for cooperation with NATO, the EU also must develop a similar plan for Georgia. How realistic are such recommendations, especially given the threats coming from Russia?
Mister Prime Minister, what is Georgia prepared for in announcing that it is making ready to apply for EU membership in 2024? Especially given the Kremlin's repeated statements claiming that Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration is viewed by Moscow as an attempt of sorts to instigate unrest in the region.
President of the European Council Charles Michel
Thank you for this question. Indeed, this agreement is key because it is the door toward strengthening the ties between Georgia and the European Union. And that is why I was so motivated to make it happen with strong involvement from the leadership of different political actors in Georgia. More precisely, European and Georgian authorities have worked hard in the last few weeks and months, and in the pipeline, there are 500 concrete ongoing projects in different fields.
And I hope that, in the next weeks, we will work closely with the Georgian Government and Parliament in order not only to implement reforms, but also to make sure that we will develop a strong and ambitious program for the next years. We will decide on the next program for 2021-2027. An important choice needs to be made.
Finally, we made with the Prime Minister a very important decision on the socioeconomic priorities and prosperity of the country, because it is important for both the Government and European leaders, to improve the living conditions in the country. We know that COVID-19 is a difficult challenge with potential huge negative economic consequences. And that is why this must be the moment to invest in the future and the green deal, to invest in the digital agenda, to support SMEs, to create more jobs in Georgia. And I am optimistic because I feel that with the Prime Minister and his team, in the next weeks and months, we will cooperate a lot in order to support all the positive efforts that will improve the situation in Georgia, also on a socioeconomic level, which is also important in line with the regional dimension.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili
Thank you for your question.
Georgia's choice, our choice of European integration is not the choice of one particular government or political team, but the choice of the Georgian people.
80% of our citizens support Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration, the reason why I totally understand your question. I understand that this may not be the scenario of choice for Russia, but this choice is irreversible. And we made this process irreversible when we signed the Association Agreement, also DCFTA, back in 2014. I believe that this answers the question, especially since this aspiration to become an EU member is not directed against any country, including Russia.
Q (Rustavi 2): Mister President, what are the guarantees that all terms will be fulfilled in the agreement mediated by through your mediation and US assistance? Because today we heard the position of particular political parties saying that they still have questions about the implementation of certain terms, including the release of Nika Melia.
President of the European Council Charles Michel
I am convinced that the decision taken yesterday, and its signing by many political leaders, is a strong signal. But it is not enough. Political leaders, the Government, must cooperate in order to implement what was decided by Georgian political leaders. This is their top priority: electoral and judiciary reform, rule of law-these are fundamental. In this country we trust democratic institutions: The Government, the Parliament, the President. It is fundamental because it is the best guarantee for the people and their future.
This does not mean that tomorrow everything will be simple. Of course, democratic debates sometimes mean tensions and a difference of opinion about priorities and ways we need to work together. But the most important thing is the DNA, and the DNA is in unity, in the common interests of this country, and with this agreement signed yesterday, I hope, others will join this agreement. And this agreement is a starting point for more serenity, more political stability, and the strong political will of the majority of the political leaders, in order to act in the interests of Georgian citizens.
Q (Imedi TV): My question is about the enforcement of the document. When will its enforcement start? Also, about the document's content, which implies cooperation between opponents. Do you expect constructive cooperation from the opposition?
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili
Thank you for your question.
As for the implementation and fulfillment of the agreement proper, I assure you on behalf of our team that there will be no delays on our end, of course-we are committed to fulfilling, as promptly as possible, every condition we signed up to today.
We have always expressed readiness, and I reaffirm that we are committed to and support constructive dialogue, and it is in this spirit, of course, that we will continue working in the Parliament. I reiterate that now is the time for our country to unite, not to divide. Our country and citizens face numerous problems and challenges that must be addressed through joint work in the Parliament of Georgia, to enable the country to return to normal development, to life and work and usual, as soon as possible.
Q (TV Pirveli): President Michel, we see that a political decision has been made, but the ruling party is still hesitant about releasing a major opposition leader. All day, we have been listening to representatives of the Office of the Public Defender and law experts saying that there are several mechanisms to release Nika Melia from prison. What is Georgian Dream waiting for?
Mister Garibashvili, what are your plans, when will you make a political decision, and when will Nika Melia leave prison?
President of the European Council Charles Michel
Strong commitments have been assumed under this agreement, and I am convinced that all sides will fulfil their share of it. I am confident that the assumed obligations will be fulfilled. It is a matter of trust, but I have no doubt, because I have discussed this issue with various political leaders over past several hours and weeks, and I have an impression that there is goodwill and strong commitment to taking the right steps, and taking steps in the right direction passes through fulfilling this agreement.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili
I would add to President Michel's words that we all, by signing this document, have created grounds-and there were grounds even before-for not keeping Mister Melia behind bars. Consequently, I believe that this answers your question, and now it is the opposition's turn to act.
On behalf of our Government and political team, I would like to reiterate our gratitude to President Michel, also to Ambassador Carl Hartzell for his months-long personal engagement in the process of facilitation earlier and successful participation in the process. Thank you, Mister Hartzell, for that. We are also grateful to US Ambassador Kelly Degnan. And thank you all for this day.
Thank you!
Press Service of the Government Administration