ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 6, 2004 Tuesday

EU to give Eur10 million urgent aid to Georgia

By Alexander Kondrashov

BRUSSELS

European Commission President Romano Prodi said on Tuesday that the
European Union would give financial aid to Georgia.

He said the European Commission would assign Eur10 million urgent
economic assistance to Georgia and give Eur3.6 million for further
reforms in the Georgian justice system. Prodi made the statement at a
Tuesday briefing following the meeting with Georgian President
Mikhail Saakashvili.

Prodi said they are also considering the assignment of Eur30 million
for other socio-economic reforms in Georgia.

The European Commission and the World Bank will hold a donor
conference in Brussels in June. The Georgian government will draft an
investment program by that time, and the donors will consider
possible extra funding of the Georgian economic modernization, he
said.

The EU Council of Ministers will consider the granting of a status of
EU friends and neighbors to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in May
2004, Prodi said. Many countries of East Europe and the Mediterranean
region have obtained the status.