Kristian Vigenin: Relations with Georgia will remain a priority for the Bulgarian foreign policy
18 July 2014 News
Today is a historic day for Georgia. The ratification of the Association Agreement is one of those milestones in the history of independent, free and democratic Georgia that will be remembered by future generations. This is indeed a very important moment for the whole of Europe, said Minister Kristian Vigenin at the official ceremony held in the Georgian Parliament on the ratification of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.
Minister Vigenin emphasized thatthe Agreement is recognition of the hard work and significant progress made by Georgia over the recent years on the path to a stable and prosperous democracy, but it is not the endpoint of the cooperation. We respect Georgia’s own European choice and its aspirations to go further, and we see the Association Agreement as a “game changer” and a new opening towards the final goal, he said.
According to the Bulgarian Foreign Minister, the Agreement will enable Georgia to develop stronger political and economic ties with its EU partners, to consolidate reforms and the rule of law, and to access the world's largest single market. It will assist Georgia with modernizing the economy by creating new trade and investment opportunities, upgrading infrastructure and boosting economic activities and growth. Most importantly, the Agreement will bring the Georgian people closer to the European family to which it rightly belongs, and to their desire to live with the shared European values, Minister Vigenin pointed out.
In conclusion, Minister Vigenin reaffirmed Bulgaria’s strong commitment to the political association, economic integration and the European perspective of Georgia. We offer you our political support and practical assistance to help implement the commitments you have undertaken under the Agreement, he said.
During his visit to Georgia, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister met with President Giorgi Margvelashvili and Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili. The Georgian head of state thanked for Bulgaria’s support on the path towards the EU and NATO, adding that he relies on our country to share its experiences of the accession process to the European Union.
The program of the Minister Vigenin also included talks with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Foreign Minister Maya Pandzhikidze and State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Aleksi Petriashvili. Among the topics of discussion was the European perspective of Georgia in the context of the ratification of the Association Agreement, as well as the current state of bilateral relations.
Minister Vigenin welcomed the efforts made by two consecutive governments on the completion of the negotiations on the Agreement. We believe that this is a step towards an even closer cooperation and integration of Georgia with the EU, but also an opportunity for Bulgaria and Georgia to work and develop their relations on a different basis, he said.
According to Kristian Vigenin, Bulgaria will support Georgia in implementing the Agreement. During the discussions it was agreed that the foreign ministries of the two countries will hold consultations in order to define the areas in which help from Bulgarian experts is required.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister and Georgian officials discussed the current state of bilateral relations, noting that they develop upwards over a period of several governments. Kristian Vigenin expressed confidence that the relations with Georgia will remain a priority for the Bulgarian foreign policy.
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