New project strengthens Georgian-EU relations
By Anna Arzanova

The Messenger, Georgia
Nov 8 2004

The presentation of a European Union funded project, which envisages
the strengthening and deepening of cooperation between the EU and
Georgia, was held in Tbilisi on November 5.

The project is aimed primarily at increasing the ability of state
institutions to support the implementation of the 1999 Partnership
and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which is the main instrument for
developing mutually beneficial relations between Georgia and the EU,
as well as democratic and structural market reforms in the country.

To achieve this, the one year project, which is also aimed at building
awareness of European integration in Georgian society and will cost
700,000 Euros, will “assist governmental agencies to prioritize,
coordinate, manage and monitor the PCA implementation process,” “build
the relevant human resource capacity through tailor made training,”
and ” build the government’s communication capacity, targeting both
the government and civil society.”

Within the framework of the project, a group of European and Georgian
experts will deliver advice and training in accordance with the
objectives of the project. Study visits to one of the new EU member
states and to Brussels will also be organized. The project will make
a technical needs assessment and supply government offices working
on EU issues with IT and communication technologies.

The project partner is the governmental commission for European
integration, while the beneficiaries of the project will include the
State Minister’s Office for European Integration, those ministries
participating in the PCA implementation process, relevant parliamentary
committees, media, the business community, and NGOs.

State Minister for European Integration Tamar Beruchashvili said that
November 5 was an important date for the country because it was the
beginning of a project which would help create effective resources
in Georgia. “Priorities of domestic foreign affairs are not just a
declaration, but a very precise concrete plan which we are going to
implement,” she stated.

According to Beruchashvili, a special council has been created which
will include virtually all those NGOs, expert groups, university
scholars and others who are assisting the Georgian government to
integrate into the EU.

“The main problem is a lack of well-trained human resources and
this project is going to help solve this problem and thus help the
government to implement the partnership and cooperation agreement
between Georgia and EU, the main objective of which is to make
Georgia an attractive country for the EU, to harmonize Georgian and EU
jurisdiction and to ensure resources which will serve this mechanism
and will make it more active,” she said.

Beruchashvili stressed that it is very significant that they are
able to speak in professional language to their European partners,
to understand how the European institutions work, to be involved
actively in this work, to defend their interests and to find their
place in the European family.

Executive vice-president of the think-tank Georgian Foundation for
Strategic and International Studies Temur Iakobashvili said at the
press conference Friday that “The project envisages the implementation
of a framework of access to partnership and cooperation agreement
and to create resources within the ministry so that they can work
with European partners,”

Iakobashvili added that this is the first time that Georgian
organizations have participated in the consortium, and he underlined
the good will of the Georgian government shown in involving so many
people in the process. “Integration into the European Union is not
the mission of organizations but also of the people as well,” he said.

Head of Operations of the European Commission’s delegation in Georgia
and Armenia Adriana Longoni expressed her great satisfaction in
being able to present the project. “The goal of the project is to
create a working environment for political dialogue in order that
Georgia consolidate its democratic, economic and market processes,”
Longoni said.

“This project can be adapted to the requirements of both parties.
This is one more very important step in our relations,” Longoni
stated, adding that the European Commission decided in 2004 to create
a neighborhood program for Caucasus countries, what means that after
enlargement, new mechanism of cooperation should be created.

“This also will support the consistent development of the country
to approach the European Union,” Longoni said. She thinks that it
is also very important to achieve the aims of this project, as well
as progress in adherence to the law, protection of human rights and
development of a market economy.

Longoni said that the progress of the project is based on a working
plan. “Within the framework of this, I want to welcome the first
meeting, which is also a starting point in the new environment after
the revolution to improve the processes of implementation. The new
neighborhood policy is very important for the creation of a people’s
group who are informed regarding these processes,” Longoni noted.

MP and Head of the Parliamentarian Committee of Foreign Affairs Kote
Gabashvili expressed his opinion that “this agreement is the biggest
achievement in relations with the EU.”

“It is a very significant project for us in approaching the EU. We can
see the special attitude of the EU and interest in Georgia,” he said,
expressing his confidence that their ambitions will help Georgia to
advance and to meet all the criteria, which will be quite difficult
but which will guarantee the survival of the country.

Team leader and Deputy Team leader of the Support of PCA Implementation
process Mats Nystrom and Kakha Gogolashvili also participated in the
launch on Friday.