Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, who will represent Georgia at the Eastern Partnership Vilnius summit, expects the summit to lay the groundwork for the Georgian status of a European family member.
“We assign paramount importance to the Vilnius summit because we expect a confirmation and recognition of our European choice by the partners there,” Margvelashvili told a press conference on Oct.,28. Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili also participated in the press conference.
The initialing of the Georgia-EU association agreement and free trade agreement due at the summit will be just the beginning, he said. “The groundwork will be laid for the establishment of the Georgian status as a European family member. We have lots of homework to do next year,” Margvelashvili said.
Hopefully, Georgia will sign the association agreement with the European Union next fall, he said. “This is a very fast track, and the process regularly takes two years. Ukraine has surpassed us,” Margvelashvili said. “Much time has been wasted, and we have to boost Georgia’s relations with European states, develop these relations and make them more profound during next year, especially with Germany, relations with which have a big potential, so that we could ratify agreements with EU member states during that period,” he said.
