The FINANCIAL -- The foreign ministers of five of the European Union's newest members will travel to Georgia next week to monitor preparations ahead of the October 1 general elections, Bulgaria said Friday.

"The foreign ministers of Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Romania will take part in this visit, with the aim of supporting the democratic process in this election," the foreign ministry in Sofia said in a statement.

The ministers' visit, which will start on Monday, would also show support for "the reform process leading to Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration," it added.

As EUbusiness reported, last week Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary-general of NATO , which Georgia is seeking to join, warned that the election would be a "litmus test" for the country's democratic credentials.

The governing party of President Mikheil Saakashvili is facing its toughest electoral battle since coming to power after the 2003 Rose Revolution, against a revitalised opposition led by billionaire tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili.

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