ALDE Party President visits Georgia - Hoofdinhoud
From 4 to 6 December newly elected ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen MEP visited Tbilisi, Georgia to meet with a range of stakeholders including the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili and a wide range of local NGOs. Van Baalen also visited Georgia to support and share advice for ALDE Party's two member parties the Republican Party of Georgia and the Free Democrats Party in view of next year's important parliamentary elections in Georgia.
Addressing the Republican Party's Congress on Sunday 6 December which gathered an impressive 2 000 people Hans van Baalen said: 'It is great to be among friends and liberals in Georgia who are making a difference and working hard to move the country in a positive direction' . 'Georgia's future place is absolutely among Western partners in the EU and NATO, and I am pleased to see the Republicans spearheading that effort in government', he continued.
Commenting on his visit overall, the ALDE Party President concluded: 'While Georgia undoubtedly still faces challenges on several fronts, the country is however clearly a beacon of stability in the geopolitical region and worthy of support in its encouraging strives for democracy and development in a difficult environment. I strongly support the ratification of visa free travel between the EU and Georgia next year, which in turn will hopefully encourage further positive impetus for EU-Georgia cooperation in the near future.'
See also: Davit Usupashvili hosts Hans van Baalen