Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili today met European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso as part of his two-day visit to Brussels. After the meeting Saakashvili and Barroso held a joint news conference. 
"Our relations are growing warmer and warmer. Georgia is getting ever closer to the European Union. We are actively at work on implementing the European Neighbourhood Policy and naturally, we want to achieve concrete results. This includes Georgia's integration into the European market, the settlement of Georgia's separatist conflicts and the introduction of a simplified visa regime for certain categories of Georgian citizens," Saakashvili said. 

Barroso discussed the reforms under way in Georgia and said that their successful implementation would help the country establish a free market economy. 

"We view Georgia as a European country and state that the process of Georgia's rapprochement with the European Union and its integration into the European market should continue at its current fast pace. We also discussed the issue of visas. A group of experts will discuss this issue in March and I hope that the process will be accelerated," Barroso said. 

President Saakashvili invited the European Commission president to Georgia. Barroso noted that he had never been to Georgia and thanked Saakashvili for the invitation. 

Also today President Saakashvili held a behind-closed-doors meeting with Andris Piebalgs.

 

Press Office
of the President of Georgia