French support Georgia’s visa-liberalisation
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, June 2
President of France Francois Hollande says his country is ready to fully support Georgia’s visa-liberalisation process with the European Union (EU) and task relevant state bodies to provide consent for Georgians’ visa-free travel in the Schengen Zone.
Hollande said this to Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili in the port city of Bordeaux late on May 30, where the two top officials sat down to discuss Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
The French President praised successful Georgian reforms and the Georgian Government’s continued efforts to quickly integrate the country into Euro-Atlantic bodies.
Hollande promised that France would stand by Georgia on its path.
Kvirikashvili informed Hollande about the ongoing and planned reforms in Georgia and highlighted the political importance of successful completion of the visa-liberalisation process.
Holland congratulated Georgia on its 25th anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union.
Also that day, Kvirikashvili and the Georgian delegation attended the opening ceremony of the new Bordeaux Centre for Wine and Civilisations in France.
The opening ceremony was led by President Hollande and the Mayor of Bordeaux, Alain Juppe.
For the first year, the centre will promote a range of international wines but in mid-2017 Georgia will present a solo exhibition celebrating its traditional winemaking and viticulture.
Georgia’s exhibition will be named Vineyard Georgia and take place at the Bordeaux Centre for Wine and Civilisations in July-August 2017.
“We will be able to reveal Georgia as the cradle of wine and the home of viticulture. Today President Hollande and the Mayor of Bordeaux once again confirmed that Georgia is the cradle of wine civilization, which is a very important achievement,” Kvirikashvili said, and thanked Georgian embassies abroad, the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia, and friends from France and Spain for their efforts and support in the process.
The centre, which is 14,000m2, will feature modern architecture and technology and will present the latest achievements in the viticulture field.
