EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle welcomed “the substantive completion” of the negotiations on the future Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia, which also includes establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).

“We look forward to the initialing of the Association Agreement at the next Eastern Partnership Summit that will take place in Vilnius on 29 November 2013, and to the subsequent signing of the Agreement as soon as the technical procedures are completed,” Ashton and Füle said in a joint statement on July 24.

“For both the European Union and Georgia this is a very important milestone, opening the way to comprehensive modernization and reform based upon shared values, political association, and economic integration with the European Union. This Agreement will have a direct impact on daily life and will bring Georgia and all its citizens closer to the European Union. It will build on existing strong co-operation between the EU and Georgia on international issues,” the statement reads.