Georgia ratified its Association Agreement with the EU on July 18.
In an interview with the Georgian magazine “Investor.ge,” RSC Director Richard Giragosian analyzed the potential impact of Tbilisi’s move toward Europe on the rest of the region. According to Giragosian, “In a largely symbolic move, the Georgian parliament formally ratified its Association Agreement with the European Union (EU) on July 18. The agreement, which was signed on June 27 in Brussels, represented a crowning achievement for Georgia after several years of complex negotiations, and elevated Georgia one step closer to Europe.”
.“Although the endorsement was no surprise, the Georgian government fulfilled a key tenet of the country's strategic bid to solidify its Western orientation. Together with Ukraine and Moldova, the Association Agreement is also an essential move towards strengthening Georgian statehood in the face of looming Russian pressure,” he added.
Giragosian further noted that “beyond the strategic significance, the agreement also offers Georgia concrete benefits. It will grant "unfettered access" to the large EU market, while also offering a serious reduction of EU tariffs on Georgian imports. In turn, although Georgia will also be required to slash its own tariffs on EU imports, such a reduction will be imposed on a more gradual basis, allowing Tbilisi to ‘protect’ its own ‘strategic sectors’ from immediate competition.”