EU to support Georgia’s reforms with €20 mill

Part of the money will go to promoting better coordination at the Prime Minister’s Office. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–EU Tuesday signed an agreement with Georgia which will release €20 million in aid for furthering democratic reforms in the country.

According to an EU press release, the money will be spent on institution building aimed at supporting reforms in trade oversight, public accountability and coordination of EU-Georgia agreements.

The institutions which will receive money are: the National Food Agency, the National Accreditation Centre and the Georgian Agency for Standards, Technical Regulations and Meteorology.

The EU argues for supporting these institutions by saying it will help in aligning Georgian goods with EU standards and norms and, by doing so, enhance Georgia’s ability to trade with the EU and other partners.

Also to receive financing are the Parliament, the Public Defender’s Office and the State Audit Office, which is aimed at strengthening the public accountability and the rule of law.

Other parts of the agreement deal with promoting better coordination at the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Ministry of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and other governmental bodies.”The program launched today focuses on important elements of political association and economic integration, which are: shared values such as democracy and respect for human rights; development of stronger and modern institutions; and opening of new trade opportunities,” EU’s Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Füle said after he signed the agreement with Georgia’s minister for Euro-Atlantic integration.

He was visiting Tbilisi to attend the second informal talks within the EU’s Eastern Partnership.