President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky and President of Moldova Maia Sandu will visit Georgia on July 19.
They will take part in the Batumi International Conference. Over the years, Batumi International Conference has established itself as a strategic platform for integration of ideas, policies and common interests aimed at deepening and enhancing existing relations between the EU and Eastern Partnership countries.
In 2021, Batumi International Conference is back after a challenging year that has given the world a lot to reflect on, reevaluate and adapt. The global pandemic has been a turning point for the humanity to assess previous modus operandi and explore new potentials. Though this year’s Batumi International Conference format is relatively limited - presented in a hybrid format due to ongoing pandemic, the European affairs and European integration, traditionally, remain the central themes of event.
Respective panels will center around two major themes: The main spotlight is on the upgraded level of cooperation between the three EU Associated Partners – Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - recently formalized as the Associated Trio, which is s a tripartite format for the enhanced cooperation, coordination, and dialogue between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine with the European Union on issues of common interest related to European integration, enhancing cooperation within the framework of the Eastern Partnership, and committing to the prospect of joining the European Union.
The three Partners are determined to accelerate the reforms envisaged by their respective Association Agreements with the European Union that contain provisions on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas.
Thus, the panel will discuss possible interests of the EU to engage further in the enhanced integration process with the three Eastern European partners, deliberate more on the European enthusiasm of the three countries while also reflecting on how the new format will complement the future of the Eastern Partnership.
It should be noted that the President of the European Council Charles Michel, who helped broker the 19 April Agreement between political parties in Georgia, thus ending the country's well-documented political crisis, will also deliver a speech at the Batumi International Conference.
A joint meeting of Charles Michel with the Presidents of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine is planned, after which a press conference will be held. During the visit, the President of the European Council will hold bilateral talks with the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili and the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili on July 19 in Batumi. A joint meeting of Charles Michel with the Presidents of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine is planned, after which a press conference will be held.
During the visit, the President of the European Council will hold bilateral talks with the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili and the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili on July 19 in Batumi. Charles Michel's schedule is published on the official website of the Council of Europe.
Reminder, Charles Michel's document was not executed because it was repeatedly violated. On July 15th, The US Embassy in Tbilisi expressed their dissapontment regarding Parliament’s July 12 decision to approve six Supreme Court judicial nominations, despite an explicit agreement by Georgia’s political leaders in the April 19 Agreement to “refrain from making appointments to the Supreme Court under existing rules”. The US Embassy made a lengthy statement pointing why Embassy thinks this nomination and appointment process, and the failure to undertake inclusive, comprehensive judicial reform, fell short of the commitment Georgia’s leaders, including the ruling party, made to implement the April 19 Agreement in good faith.
The Lead Spokesperson of EEAS, the European Union's diplomatic service, which helps the EU's foreign affairs chief – the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – carry out the Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy also made an official statement on the appointments of Supreme Court judges in Georgia. The statement noted that endorsed six Supreme Court judges on Monday by Georgian Parliament went against 19 April Agreemnet, to pause all ongoing appointments, comply fully with all recommendations made by the Venice Commission, and overall to increase the independence, accountability and quality of the justice system in a broad, inclusive and cross-party reform process.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on July 16 that Washington was "deeply concerned about the violation of the April 19 agreement" over the appointment of six Supreme Court justices by the Georgian parliament. "Ambitious judicial reform is crucial to Georgia's success," Blinken wrote on Twitter.
The United States is deeply troubled by the Georgian Parliament’s approval of Supreme Court nominees in contravention of the April 19 agreement. Ambitious judicial reform is critical to Georgia's success.
