EU Ambassador: Georgian business environment to “only improve” as country proceeds on membership
Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union, on Wednesday said Georgia’s domestic business environment would “only improve” as the country edged closer to EU membership. Photo: EU in Georgia
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Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union, on Wednesday said Georgia’s domestic business environment would “only improve” as the country edged closer to EU membership.
When it comes to economic development, first of all, Georgia has a history of success with very high economic growth, which we are really proud of and all Georgians should be proud of”, he said.
The Ambassador said infrastructure in Georgia was “still under development” and the EU was financing “large” projects through the European Investment Fund.
We have our economic investment plan. We are talking about mobilising €2 billion in public and private investment to help improve not only infrastructure, but primarily connectivity. We are working on ferry connections in the Black Sea, improving the East-West highway, helping small and medium-sized enterprises”, he said.
Herczyński added €100 million had been spent on projects in Georgia, which also included budgetary support.
With this, we are trying to improve the business environment and bring Georgian business closer to European business [...] Many of them are members of the European Business Association and benefit from the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Deal, and the [EU membership] candidate status”, he said.
The diplomat also said he hoped the candidate status would see the EU-Georgia relations further develop “despite certain geographical distance” and “bureaucratic problems”.
The EU is Georgia's biggest trading partner. And I sincerely hope with all projects that we are supporting now trying to increase the connectivity between Georgia and the EU, and now with the candidate status for Georgia, which provides a very solid foundation for every private investor, trading relationship between the EU and Georgia will only increase,” he said.
The Ambassador noted the Association Agreement, signed in 2014 between the EU and Georgia, had been followed by a free trade deal and a visa-free travel agreement, opened the European market for Georgian businesses.
Peter Fischer, the German Ambassador to Georgia, on Tuesday highlighted Georgia’s “significant progress” in rapprochement with the European Union and called for progress in the implementation of the steps outlined by the European Commission for opening accession talks with the country.
Vakhtang Tsintsadze, the Georgian Deputy Economy Minister, on Friday said the country’s “leading position” in the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Policy Index involving the EU’s Eastern Partnership countries was a “recognition” of the Government's “successful” economic policy.
Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, on Tuesday highlighted a “pivotal” role non-governmental organisations played in “ensuring the values” he said were shared between the EU and Georgia, in his message over World NGO Day.
Paweł Herczyński, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Monday said Georgia had an “advantage” over countries of the Western Balkans in the process of its integration into the bloc.
Irakli Chikovani, the Minister of Defence of Georgia, on Wednesday met with Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, to discuss “perspectives of deepening” cooperation “in various formats”.