BRITISH COUNCIL’S NEW PROJECT TO SUPPORT EU INTEGRATION CHALLENGE
Tamar Khurtsia

Georgian Business Week
Monday, September 28, 2009 – 03:47

The British Council, a UK-funded cultural organization, has launched
a three-year project to help Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan move
closer toward integration with the European Union.

Dubbed ‘EU Skills’ and funded by the British government, the
undertaking will focus on developing state institutions.

"This is a very important project which will hasten Georgia’s
integration into the EU," British Ambassador Denis Keefe said on
Sept. 23. "I spent four years helping the Czech Republic prepare
to join NATO and the EU, I know how important it is for developing
countries to continue the study of the new skills while they [are]
integrating into Europe."

The project is divided in four main phases and consists of the
components and activities such as capacity building, training programs,
networking and experience sharing.

Training will prepare 30 trainers from the South Caucasus – 10 from
each of the three countries – who will then disseminate knowledge to
others in local training institutions.

Participants of the project will visit Brussels to familiarize
themselves with the structure and function of the EU institutions.

The training program, according to the British Council, is based on
the survey of needs analysis conducted early in June in all three
countries.

"EU Skills will help the state institutions officials to improve their
knowledge in communication, negotiation, PR and media management,
presentation and project management skills as well as European
structures and terminology," said Paul Doubleday, the British Council’s
director for the South Caucasus.

While the cost of the project has not been disclosed, coordinators
stress that ample funding will be provided to see the program through.

The new project is being implemented in partnership with the government
of Georgia with direct support from the Prime Minister and Georgia.

The project is through the "European Neighborhood and Partnership
Instrument" which was formed in 2003 with the goal to offer member
countries a privileged relationship with EU built on mutual commitment
to common values principally within the fields of the rule of law, good
governance, the respect for human rights, including minority rights.

The initiative covers all of the Mediterranean shores of Africa and
Asia, as well as the European CIS states in the Caucasus and Eastern
Europe, excluding Russia and Kazakhstan. Along with neighboring
Armenia and Azerbaijan, Georgia was included in ENP in 2004.

The Eastern Partnership is comparatively a new initiative specifically
for the six post-Soviet states of Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus,
Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Inaugurated this year in Prague, the Eastern
Partnership is seen as Europe’s response to increased tensions with
Russia, and is intended to simplify visa processes and improve free
trade with EU countries.