BRUSSELS (AP) – European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Tuesday that reforms in Georgia were starting to transform the country into “a modern, market-oriented democracy.”
Barroso, who met with Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili, urged him to continue with reforms and promised EU support.
“Over the last few years we have seen an impressive program of reforms which is gradually transforming Georgia into a modern, market oriented democracy,” Barroso told reporters.
Saakashvili urged Barroso and the 27-nation EU to speed up plans to drop visa restrictions on Georgian citizens and companies trying to travel or do business with the EU.
“We want to get concrete results,” Saakashvili said. “Concrete results is better access for our business to the European market.”
Barroso said an expert panel would meet in March to “try to see if we can speed up the process” of visa facilitation, for both Georgians and Russians.
“We see Georgia as a European country and we believe it should be more and more integrated in our economic relations,” said Barroso.
The EU is boosting aid and trade ties to Georgia as part of a new so-called neighborhood policy, meant to stabilize the nations around its external borders.
Under the plan, Georgia stands to benefit from free trade ties as well as the easing of travel restrictions for students, tourists and business people.
