European MP McAllister Visits Georgia

TBILISI- German-born politician and Vice President of the European People’s Party (EPP) David McAllister paid an official visit to the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Monday.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikshvili welcomed McAllister, saying Georgia is committed to its pro-Western aspirations.

The meeting was held at the governmental administration, where the main topics of discussion were Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, visa liberalization with the EU, democratic reforms and Georgia’s upcoming parliamentary elections.

Kvirikashvili reiterated that the Georgian government remains devoted to its pro-Western path and expressed hope that Georgia would receive full support from the European parliament regarding visa liberalization. 

Speaking about the upcoming parliamentary elections, Kvirikashvili said the government would guarantee their fairness and transparency.

"We expect and welcome as many observers from the European Parliament as possible," Kvirikashvili told McAllister.

The meeting was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Mikheil Janelidze and State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, David Bakradze.

Born to a Scottish father and German mother, McAllister is a member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union. In addition to being a sitting member of the European Parliament, he is the Prime Minister of the state of Lower Saxony.

McAllister has often been described as a potential successor to Merkel.

By Thea Morrison

Edited by Nicholas Waller