The President of Georgia  Mikheil Saakashvili:

Welcome everyone.

I welcome the European Commissioner Stefan Fule.

You know that the issue of our European orientation is more relevant than ever considering the current events in Georgia.

A very important summit is going to be held in Vilnius this year.

I always hoped we would reach the point where Georgia would get a chance to receive a statement regarding the prospect of joining the European Union, meaning that they would name us a candidate for joining the EU in the future.

This would be a real geopolitical breakthrough for Georgia and a historic chance for our country.

On the other hand, we are already ready to sign an association agreement with the European Union during the Vilnius Summit. This is truly a historic moment for Georgia.

Of course we have a lot of disagreements and bickering within Georgia, but all of this and our internal politics must not make us lose a historic chance. We must not arrive late for the train which leaves from Vilnius in November because the next one may not come for many years.

It is a very touchy and sensitive time. So like never before my call is for Georgia to continue integration in European institutions.

Georgia’s approximation to Europe should continue. That is why we must not seek other unions.

This is why we introduced an initiative to add to our constitution the same as is written in the constitutions of Croatia, Lithuania and Estonia.

We must not integrate in any other unions besides NATO and the EU, and we must do everything in order to reach consensus within the country, remove problems and make the situation peaceful through cooperation.

We must not do something that will make our children and grandchildren lose their long term European future.

Everything that has been happening in our streets and behind these cameras recently contains certain dangers.

Now we must stand above all kinds of personal ambitions, and the President and the Government must work together like never before.

This is exactly why I mentioned that I am ready to meet with the Prime Minister regularly to discuss development of our society.

We should all advance our country together because Georgia and our European future are way more important than ambitions of specific politicians.

These specific politicians include me, the Prime Minister and any others.

This is what we have discussed.

I repeat once again, Georgia needs help from Europe, Georgia must keep moving towards Europe and approximating with European institutions.

We don’t have other opportunities and alternatives.

This is my call.

Today, like never before we need this approximation and backing from Europe.

Thank you very much.

European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy   Stefan Fule:

Mr. President it is pleasure to talk to you. It is always a pleasure to talk to you about critical issues your country is facing. And it’s always a pleasure to talk to you about priorities of your foreign policy and about this European agenda. And I know how much you have invested in that and you continue to invest to the benefits of Georgia. I would like to make five short points.

 The point number one – Yes there is a link between how EU institutions and member states perceive the Eastern Partnership and role of the European perspective on one side, and on the other side the reform process in our partner countries. The Vilnius Summit is going to be an important summit. It is going to be a summit which I hope will move us farther on the European perspective not on the bases of some political declaration, not on the bases of some eventual skillful negotiations, but on the merits of the reform process and delivering in our partner country Georgia, who by the way in this respect has a very good report and I hope it remains to be the case also in the remaining months.

Second, I hope very much that the summit in Vilnius is going to be ambitious. It’s going to be ambitious in both making a positive assessment of the progress made in the Eastern Partnership countries but also will be ambitious  in charting the next direction of the Eastern Partnership.  I don’t see yet the role of sort of talking about article 49. I think managing the expectation is actually the important element of today’s informal Eastern Partnership dialogue, by the way a lot of appreciations for that initiative to host the second meeting. Because actually today we have started, our part is actually shaping those expectations.

The third point – what I think would be the most positive news that Georgia could bring to Vilnius is finalizing negotiations on the association agreement, including the economical integration agreement. That’s how I perceive the deep and comprehensive free trade area, and also moving on the visa liberalization action plan, which I hope very much that colleague of mine, Cecilia, will be ready within a very short period of time, which would become the basis for the Georgian authorities to deliver on the aspiration of Georgian citizens to travel to the European Union and the Schengen area without visa. And I believe strongly that the third contribution would be Georgia delivering on a major reaction to the cohabitation which is a result of the last parliamentary elections; cohabitation between the government and president; cohabitation which is not easy in any democratic country. But in a country with a strong democratic credential, a country with a will of politicians on both sides it is not impossible, to continue delivering on the strategic priorities of the country, and I hope very much that the politicians in Georgia will deliver exactly on that.

Point number 4 I absolutely agree with you, Mr. President, that it is historical chance, not only the Vilnius Summit itself but the road between now and the Vilnius Summit. A chance which should not be missed and a chance which, not only some Georgian institutions to work very hard in an inclusive way, inclusive and constitutional way.

And that would be my last point. Point number 5: We had a very good and frank discussion with the President about challenges and opportunities on that road to Vilnius and I appreciate very much that input but also your commitment and contributing your part to the process, and I am very much looking forward to discuss with the Prime Minister the same issues. Thank you very much.