EU TROIKA WEIGHS IN ON GEORGIA’S POLITICAL STANDOFF

The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 6 2008

Top EU representatives arrived in Tbilisi to discuss the European
Neighborhood Policy and regional cooperation yesterday, but inevitably
were called to weigh in on the domestic political situation after
meeting with the government and the opposition.

The EU delegation, headed by Slovenian Foreign Minister and President
of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council, Dimitrij
Rupel, met with government officials first, underlining the progress
made in Georgia-EU relations.

"Cooperation between Georgia and the EU is becoming increasingly
intensive," Rupel told journalists, while newly appointed Foreign
Minister Davit Bakradze described the talks as "very positive."

Addressing the government’s concern about Kosovo, which is set to
declare independence in the near future, the EU delegation reiterated
that this should not become a precedent for Georgia’s breakaway
regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Later in the day, EU officials met with the political opposition and
discussed the ongoing political uncertainty.

"Their advice was for the opposition to focus our efforts on
parliamentary elections," opposition coalition representative Kakha
Kukava said, continuing, "The main thing is that we work together to
ensure these elections are held democratically."

Tina Khidasheli, also of the opposition coalition, said they pressed
for the EU to "become the central player from the international
community in Georgia."

European commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the recent
presidential election was a "step forward" but added that problems
highlighted by international observers "should certainly be taken
into account during the parliamentary elections."

She also called on the government to pay more attention to reforms
in the public sector, following success in fighting corruption and
implementing economic reform.

The EU troika rounds of its three-day trip to the South Caucasus today
in Armenia. It discussed regional and EU cooperation issues as well
as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan earlier in the week.

All three South Caucasus states adopted European Neighborhood Action
Plans, country-specific reform agendas for countries in the European
neighborhood, in late 2006.