EUHR Solana met with Georgian Foreign Minister

Javier SOLANA, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), met today with Salome Zurabishvili, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations between the EU and Georgia.

On Georgian-Russian relations, Ms Zurabishvili informed about the recent visit of Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov to Tbilisi and the decision to intensify bilateral efforts aimed at improving Georgian-Russian relations. The High Representative welcomed this decision by the two countries and expressed hope that concrete progress could be achieved in the next couple of months. An improved climate between the two countries would make it easier to find solutions to outstanding issues.

The situation on the Georgian-Russian border after the termination of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Border Monitoring Operation (BMO) was discussed. Responding to a request by Georgia, the EU is considering how best to contribute to the stability of the border after the BMO. To this end the EU is continuing its discussions with all parties. No EU decision has yet been taken. The EU supports the OSCE plans to train Georgian border guards.

The High Representative and the Foreign Minister discussed the conflict resolution processes in South Ossetia and Abkhazia and Mr. Solana assured the continued EU assistance in helping create progress in finding a solution in these conflicts, including through EU Special Representative Talvitie.

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