(update, 12:30) Following further meetings with Azerbaijan's President Ilham oglu Aliyev and the head of the national oil and gas company SOCAR, Rovnag Abdulayev, Federal Minister Steinmeier left for the Georgian capital Tbilisi in the early afternoon.
In Tbilisi, Minister Steinmeier met for talks with the Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili and Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli. Both men pointed out the excellent state of German-Georgian relations. In Georgia, too, talks focused on the European Neighbourhood Policy. Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed that Georgia has set itself ambitious goals for the implementation of the Action Plan. He went on to say that the possibility of concluding agreements for individual sectors had been discussed. These could help Georgia make progress towards adopting European legal standards and gain gradual access to the European single market. Furthermore, Black Sea cooperation was to be developed as a regional element. Since the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, the EU borders on the Black Sea. Frank-Walter Steinmeier made it clear that closer ties with the EU depended first and foremost on internal reforms in Georgia. Germany and the EU wanted to continue supporting the reform process, which had got off to a good start, and to stand by Georgia as it heads towards the rule of law and democracy.
Prime Minister Noghaideli stressed Georgia's particular interest in advancing judicial reform. This was one of the most difficult reforms and a plan had now been drawn up together with EU experts. Minister Steinmeier assured him of continued support for this reform.
Minister Steinmeier expressed his hope that the easing of tension in Georgian-Russian relations would result in a positive dynamism. For dialogue and trust were also vital to the peaceful resolution of the regional conflicts in South Ossetia and Abchasia. In this connection, Minister Steinmeier rejected a prejudicial effect of a Kosovo status solution on the "frozen conflicts" in the Southern Caucasus. He said that Kosovo was a "unique case and not a model for resolving conflicts in international relations".
Foreign Minister Bezhuashvili emphasized Georgia's interest in joining NATO soon. He stated that Georgia wanted to embark upon "new qualitative ways" in moving towards NATO. Federal Minister Steinmeier stressed that the question of NATO accession would have to be decided by the Alliance and Georgia alone. Third countries must not have any influence on this.
In the evening, Minister Steinmeier had dinner with Georgian President Mikhael Saakashvili.
Minister Steinmeier began Tuesday (20 February) by having breakfast with the former President of Georgia, Eduard Shevardnadze, who – as the then Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union – was one of the architects of German unification. The two men spoke about developments in the post-Soviet region.
On the last leg of his trip, Frank-Walter Steinmeier will travel to Armenia. There he will meet Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan.
