Grigol Vashadze meets with experts of the EU Council

On 4 September 2008 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Grigol Vashadze met with experts of the EU Council and political advisers to the EU Special Representative for South Caucasus, on their request.

The aim of the meeting was to continue a regular dialogue between the European Union and Georgia on the situation resulting from Russia’s aggression and invasion of the Georgian territory. The sides also focused on the decisions adopted by the Extraordinary European Council Meeting held in Brussels on 1 September 2008 and EU-initiated concrete measures aimed at their implementation.

European experts noted that the extension of the office of the EU Special Representative for South Caucasus has already been launched in compliance with the Council decisions. Up to 20 European experts (so-called crisis response team) are already on the ground engaged in choosing locations for EU groups of monitors throughout the entire territory of Georgia and preparing them for the European Union’s ESDP Mission.

The Georgian side once again noted with satisfaction that the European Council’s decisions register clearly the European Union’s joint, firm and unequivocal position on the recognition of the principle of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as a basis for resolving the crisis between Russia and Georgia; strict demand to Russia to ensure immediate implementation of the 6-point ceasefire agreement and withdrawal of all troops from the territory of Georgia; the strengthening of the European Union’s role in addressing the crisis and securing a lasting solution to the conflicts, as well as in promoting Georgia’s integration with the European Union.

On the European side’s request, the Deputy Foreign Minister acquainted the European experts with the actual state of affairs in Georgia as well as on its occupied territories and provided them with full information on all illegal control checkpoints set up by Russia in Georgia.