Zourabichvili: Georgia Not to Get MAP Yet
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, January 30
After finishing the first official visit to Brussels as the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili summed up the results of the meetings, said it is likely that Georgia will not get a MAP from NATO yet.
“We need to be realistic. The political reality is that we will probably not receive MAP yet. However, this demand should be constantly raised,” she said.
The President underlined that Georgia needs more NATO and more cooperation.
“NATO positively welcomed us, because Georgia is the first country that is ready to join the Alliance according to all the parameters required for membership,” she stated, adding that Georgia is in fact at the door of NATO, which should be open.
As for the European aspirations, she noted that Georgia should be involved in all EU formats.
“The EU should be more involved in Georgia in various directions and Georgia should be more represented in Europe. We are among the three countries that have Association Agreements today and we are a leader among these three countries. We must use this status as much as possible,” she said.
Zourabichvili said she presented to the EU officials the attitude of the Georgian population towards the EU and NATO membership that has not changed over the years.
"Consensus on Georgia’s EU and NATO integration process has been reached among the major political forces in the country and the society’s attitude in this regard is unchanged and positive, despite the fact that we expect more progress and bolder steps,” she said.
Outcomes of visa liberalization discussed at the meetings in Brussels were another key topic raised by President Zourabichvili at the press conference. She said over three hundred thousand people have benefited from the visa-free regime to Europe, and the number of people that use this opportunity to illegally stay in Europe and ask for asylum does not cast the shadow over this positive trend.
"We're working with the EU to solve this problem. Everyone should realize that those who violate these rules harm their children’s future because the visa-free regime is very precious for Georgia. No one should be allowed to cast doubt on our right to freely travel to Europe,” she stressed.
Zourabichvili also says her administration is trying to arrange a meeting with the US President Donald Trump before he meets with Vladimir Putin.
“It is important that we have the opportunity to meet with the US President Donald Trump. At the meeting, we will introduce our views and our most painful issues. However, I do not know if he finds time for me,” she added. The president positively assessed her visit to Brussels, highlighting that positive attitude was expressed towards Georgia in many forms in the EU and NATO.
High-level meetings were held with Federica Mogherini, Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations; Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship; Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament; and members of the European Parliament, featuring all the political forces in the European Parliament.
