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President Ilves: only the European Union’s Eastern Partnership countries themselves can decide upon their future

09.09.2013

"Only the European Union Eastern Partnership countries themselves have the right to decide on what sort of future they want and which association they wish to join. Using economic factors to apply pressure on them would be unacceptable and has nothing to do with today's Europe and European ways," emphasised the President, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, today at a meeting with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanišvili, who is in Estonia for an official visit.

The Estonian Head of State confirmed his support for the initialisation of the Association Agreement and Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Georgia at the EU Eastern Partnership summit this autumn in Vilnius.

"This is an important landmark that should be followed, according to Estonia, by the conclusion of the association agreement and free trade agreement before next summer," President Ilves told, describing fast progress with the EU-Georgia visa simplification arrangement as important.

"It is important to keep in mind that Estonia, just like the European Union in general, supports a democratic Georgia that respects a state based on the rule of law, civil society and reforms," President Ilves commented.

The organisation of free, democratic presidential elections in October and the tolerant attitude of the government towards the opposition serve as confirmation of the continued course of euro-integration in Georgia, added the Estonian Head of State.


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