2016-12-07
POLITICO's David M. Herszenhorn interviews Kvirikashvili, who wants his country to achieve visa-free travel access to the EU.
WHY ARE YOU HERE THIS WEEK?
"This is the first visit, the first foreign visit after the elections. And it is also symbolic that the first visit is to the European capital, underlining the importance of European integration as the strategic goal for Georgia."
IS THE EU LIVING UP TO ITS COMMITMENTS TO GEORGIA, PARTICULARLY GIVEN GEORGIA'S COMMITMENT TO WESTERN INTEGRATION?
"If we speak about visa liberalization, yes ... Still this issue has been somehow stuck between the European institutions. Visa liberalization has ... enormous transformative power to drive the reform agenda forward and we hope very much that in the nearest ... months, this issue will come to a successful end."
Kvirikashvili also praised the benefits of Georgia's "deep and comprehensive free trade area agreement" as "an incredible achievement ... making Georgia a part of the European order even well before becoming a full member of the European family."
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF RECENT ELECTION RESULTS IN ESTONIA, MOLDOVA AND BULGARIA? DO THEY REFLECT A SHIFT TOWARD RUSSIA?
It's too soon after the elections to judge whether these countries are actually turning toward Moscow, he said. "I think we need to just wait for next steps."
THERE WAS SIMILAR SPECULATION THAT WHEN YOUR PARTY, GEORGIAN DREAM, FIRST CAME TO POWER IN 2012, IT WAS ALSO A SHIFT TOWARD RUSSIA.
"All these speculations about Georgian Dream not being as pro-Western as our predecessors are very far from reality ... What is the difference? The biggest difference is we are more pragmatic [and are] trying to de-escalate tensions with Russia. And why are we doing that? To have enough stability in the region, first of all to stay consistent with the West, with the European Union and NATO, and of course to create enough stability to attract investments and grow the economy ... Of course, we would like to have normal neighborly friendly relations with Russia, but only based on the respect of Georgia's territorial integrity in the internationally-recognized borders."
STILL, RUSSIA CONTINUES TO OCCUPY THE GEORGIAN TERRITORIES OF ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA (CALLED AS THE TSKHINVALI REGION IN GEORGIAN) AND THE BORDER FENCE SEEMS TO KEEP MOVING FURTHER INTO GEORGIAN TERRITORY?
"We see the signing of the different integration cooperation treaties virtually swallowing Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region in the Russian political, military, bureaucratic space ... Of course this is a way to undermine stability in the region, definitely. But we will stay consistent with our pragmatic de-escalation policy because we understand there is no military solution to this conflict ... It's very complicated."
Source: http://www.politico.eu/newsletter/playbook/politico-brussels-playbook-presented-by-google-hollandes-disappearing-act-italy-austria-countdown/