ZOURABICHVILI PUSHES GEORGIAN ENP ACTION PLAN IN TALKS WITH STRAW

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Oct 12 2005

Visiting Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili, who met with
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in London on October 11, expressed
concern regarding the delays in launching talks over Georgia’s EU
Neighborhood Policy (ENP), the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported
on Wednesday.

Salome Zourabichvili called on the UK, which currently holds the EU
Presidency, to pay more attention to these talks, which are expected
to develop Georgia’s ENP action plan.

“I would prefer talks to continue longer rather than work for 3 or
4 years in accordance to [an ineffective action] plan which will be
unacceptable for the Georgian side and which will not reflect the
Georgian side’s demands,” Salome Zourabichvili was quoted as saying in
a press release issued by the Georgian Foreign Ministry on October 12.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, talks over the ENP
action plan have been postponed by the EU twice. The reason for the
delay has been cited as a problem which emerged in the relationship
between Azerbaijan and Cyprus. Azerbaijan is at odds with Cyprus,
as Baku strives for closer ties with the Turkish Cypriot authorities.

The EU adheres to a policy of equal treatment towards all three
countries of the South Caucasus region in the process of talks, but
according to the EU’s representative to the region Heikki Talvitie,
if Azerbaijan fails to normalize its ties with the EU-member state,
the European Union will launch separate talks with Georgia and
Armenia alone.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, during the talks in London
the British Foreign Secretary assured Salome Zourabichvili that the
UK will pay more attention to the development of Georgia’s ENP action
plan in order to prepare the document by the end of 2005.