Mikheil Janelidze Speaks at International Parliamentary Conference

4.12.2017, Tbilisi – Speaking before the participants of the international parliamentary conference: EU and Partners – Embracing Diversity for Stronger Unity, Georgian Vice Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze paid special attention to the Georgian Government’s plans for the EU integration: “Georgia has always had a clear vision of its future - our future lies in Europe. Speaking from Georgia’s perspective, - the Eastern Partnership has provided a concrete framework for the realization of our vision.  Only during the last three years have we accomplished most of the prospects offered by the Eastern Partnership: today we are associated partners of the European Union; we have successfully completed visa liberalisation and joined the Energy Community. For us, European integration is not simply a foreign policy goal. It is also our domestic policy priority, since, as we implement the Association Agreement, European integration has acquired a very direct bearing on Georgian legislation, economy and institutional development” – Mikheil Janelidze said. 
 
According to Mikheil Janelidze, the EU Member States expressed their support for the Eastern Partnership format reaffirming that the 20 deliverables for 2020 initiative will be an important step towards the implementation of Georgia’s EU integration goals. Mikheil Janelidze said that the Eastern Partnership has been a real game changer which brought together six different partner states, with different ambitions, with different interests and different agendas regarding the integration with the EU. The partnership created a policy framework of potentials, contributions and benefits for all sides partnering, which can freely choose the level of their ambitions and goals in relations with the EU.
 
The international parliamentary conference: EU and Partners – Embracing Diversity for Stronger Unity on 4 and 5 December aims to discuss integration with the EU as a framework for promoting internal reforms, indicating the benefits and challenges associated with the EU-inspired transformation.