TBILISI, December 03, 23:01 /ITAR-TASS/. Georgia’s integration into the European Union is not meant against Russia’s interests, Georgian President Georgy Margvelashvili said in an interview with the Georgian television company Rustavi-2 on Tuesday.
“Georgia’s integration into the European Union should not be taken as a rivalry between Europe and Russia,” he said. “Integration in Europe is the choice of the overwhelming majority of Georgia’s population and its social and political spectrum.” At the same time, he noted that his country was interested in the normalization of relations with Russia and would continue its dialogue with that country to finally “achieve this difficult goal.”
At the Eastern Partnership summit in the Lithuanian capital city Vilnius on November 28, Georgia and the European Union initialed the Association Agreement. On behalf of Georgia, the document was signed by First Deputy Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani. On the following day, the Georgian foreign minister and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton inked a symbolic initialing document. The Association Agreement between Georgia and the European Union is expected to be signed in September 2014.