The FINANCIAL — The European Union and Georgia enjoy a very close and positive relationship. The EU-Georgia Association Agreement entered into force in July 2016 and strives for political association and economic integration between the EU and Georgia.
The EU and Georgia have also entered into a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), while Georgian citizens have benefitted from visa free travel to the Schengen area since 28 March 2017. The EU is Georgia’s largest trading partner and provides over €100 million to Georgia annually in technical and financial assistance, according to European Union.
Georgia is an important partner for the European Union both within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and its eastern dimension under the Eastern Partnership (EaP). The 2015 ENP review reconfirmed the EU’s long-term engagement with partner countries, in particular with partners, such as Georgia, wishing to pursue deeper relations with the EU. Differentiation and joint ownership being the hallmarks of the new ENP, the policy continues to build ties with and encourage Georgia to further approximate with European legislation and standards. The 2016 EU Global Strategy acknowledged Georgia as an example of state and societal resilience in the eastern neighbourhood.
The EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, which was deployed in line with the Agreement of 12 August 2008, along with the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, embody the EU’s engagement on conflict resolution and its full commitment to Georgia’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.