Written answers

Wednesday, 23 November 2016

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

EU Issues

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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115. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the EU continues to have a positive relationship with Georgia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36546/16]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The European Union has a very positive relationship with Georgia. The relationship is enhanced by Georgia’s active participation in the Eastern Partnership.

Georgia signed an Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU in 2014. By removing customs tariffs and quotas and by comprehensively approximating trade-related laws and regulations to the standards of the European Union, the Agreement offers Georgia a framework for boosting trade and economic growth. This will facilitate Georgia's progressive integration into the EU’s single market. The Agreement fully entered into force on 1 July 2016. As part of this process, Georgia has committed to undertaking a number of reforms, including on democratic development and fundamental freedoms, constitutional and parliamentary reform, and anti-corruption. The EU remains fully supportive of the Georgia’s reform process.

Ireland has excellent relations with Georgia and is a strong supporter of Georgia’s current reform path and of the country’s continued efforts towards closer political and economic relations with the EU.

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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116. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the EU continues to have a positive relationship with Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36547/16]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The European Union has a very positive relationship with Ukraine.

The EU is committed to assisting Ukraine in delivering its ambitious and wide-ranging programme of reform and has provided unprecedented levels of support. This assistance includes loans, budget support, humanitarian assistance, technical assistance and trade preferences, granted under the framework for the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, which entered into provisional application on 1 January 2016. In addition, the EU provides valuable assistance in civilian security sector reform through its Advisory Mission to Ukraine.

The 18th EU-Ukraine Summit will take place in Brussels tomorrow, 24 November and will provide an opportunity to assess the progress of political and economic reforms in Ukraine.

As regards the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the EU continues to support diplomatic efforts to secure full implementation of the Minsk Agreements within the OSCE Trilateral Contact Group (OSCE, Russia and Ukraine) and its four working groups and the Normandy Format (France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine). The Minsk agreements offer the only basis for a stable and lasting political resolution to the conflict in Ukraine and the European Union will continue to support and facilitate their full implementation. In addition, the EU has condemned and refused to recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea.

Ireland has excellent relations with Ukraine and is a strong supporter of Ukraine’s reform programme and of diplomatic efforts to secure full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

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