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Georgia

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Last reviewed: 7 April 2008

Country information

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Georgia’s Relations with Neighbours

President Saakashvili visited Moscow early in 2004, on his first official state visit. Since then Georgia's relationship with Russia has deteriorated rapidly. The relationship plummeted in 2006 following accusations of Russian involvement in shutting off gas supplies prompting concern over the political and financial cost of Russian energy supplies. Later Russia banned Georgian and Moldavian wine and mineral water. The low point followed Tbilisi's public humiliation of suspected Russian spies that saw a backlash against Georgians in Moscow leading to mass deportations from Russia. Relations remain tense.

Relations with the International Community

NATO

Georgia's foreign policy aims are to integrate into Euro-Atlantic structures. Georgia joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP) on 23 March 1994 and presented its Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) at the Istanbul Summit in 2004. Georgia was successfully granted Intensified Dialogue (ID) at the NATO Foreign Ministerial meeting in New York in September 2006.

Georgia continues to support the coalition forces in Iraq. Georgia also has peacekeeping troops in Kosovo and has committed to send troops to Afghanistan.

EU

A Partnership and Co-operation Agreement (PCA) between the EU and Georgia was signed on 22 April 1996. The PCA, which entered into force on 1 July 1999, governs political, economic and trade relations between the parties and lays a basis for social, financial, scientific, technological and cultural co-operation. The Presidents of Georgia, Armenia and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan (President Aliev was unable to travel due to ill health), met with EU Foreign Ministers on 22 June 1999 in Luxembourg to mark the entry into force of the PCAs. The first Co-operation Council meeting was held in October 1999. Georgia has now become a member of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and has longer-term aspirations to EU membership. In November 2006 the ENP Action Plan was signed in Brussels committing Georgia to a number of significant reforms.

The EC Mission in Tbilisi (UK's EC contribution is 16%) focus on TACIS (Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States) support mainly in the form of policy advice, institution building, training and the design of legal and regulatory frameworks.

US

Relations with the US are strong. On 9-10 May 2005, President George Bush visited Georgia.

Georgia's relations with the UK

The UK recognised Georgia on 23 March 1992. Diplomatic relations were established a month later. 1995 saw the opening of both a British Embassy in Tbilisi and a Georgian Embassy in London.

Visits by current members of the Government

President Saakashvili made his first official visit to the UK in July 2004 when he met HM The Queen, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, the Minister of Defence and the Development Secretary. In April 2007 the President made his second official guest of Government visit. The Speaker of the Parliament, Mrs Nino Burjanadze visited the UK in June and September 2004 and again in 2006. The then Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli visited the UK in 2005 and 2006. Former Georgian Foreign Minister, Mrs Salome Zourabishvili visited the UK in October 2005. Mr Giorgi Baramidze, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration, visited in March 2007. Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze visited the UK in December.

Visits by UK Ministers

In October 2006 Geoff Hoon, Minster for Europe, visited Georgia where he met President Saakashvili.

The former Foreign Secretary of State Robin Cook visited Georgia in February 2000, the first Cabinet Minister to visit Georgia since independence. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Gareth Thomas, visited Georgia in February 2004. Foreign Office Minster Bill Rammell visited Georgia in July 2004.

In 2002 the Foreign Secretary appointed Sir Brian Fall as the UK Special Representative for Georgia, a role later extended to cover the South Caucasus region. Sir Brian is the senior UK Representative on the Friends of the Secretary-General (FOSG) (see section on ‘Abkhazia’, above).

UK Development and Humanitarian Aid

The major funds for development support in Georgia are provided by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the British Government department responsible for promoting development and the reduction of poverty.

DFID manages Britain's bilateral technical assistance with the support of a small team in Georgia, who are based in the British Embassy in Tbilisi. The current DFID annual budget for Georgia is £2.5m. DFID's direct assistance to Georgia comprises of technical activities focusing on Good Governance/Democracy Building, Sustainable Livelihoods, Health and Welfare.

The UK Government has established a Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) to which the FCO, DFID and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) contribute. GCPP supports projects focusing on conflict resolution. The FCO’s Global Opportunities Fund supports projects aimed at helping develop transparent democratic development based on the rule of law and good governance.

The British Embassy in Tbilisi has a small budget of approximately £75,000 for to support local projects.

Cultural Relations with the UK

The British Council in Georgia works on a wide range of issues ranging from the rule of law to English language training. Developing cultural relationships remains the heat of their British Councils work. The legal framework for this is set out in the Cultural Agreement signed in May 1993. Georgia is eligible for the British Chevening Scholarships, under which promising young Georgians are able to live and study in the UK.

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Contacts

Georgia, Tbilisi, British Embassy

Address:

British Embassy
GMT Plaza
4 Freedom Square
Tbilisi, 0105

Telephone:

+ 995 32 274747 (Main Embassy Switchboard)
+ 995 32 274775 (Visa/Consular Enquiries)

Fax:

+ 995 32 274792 (Main Embassy)
+ 995 32 274779 (Visa/Consular Section)

Office hours:

GMT:
Mon-Fri: 0500-0900 1000-1300

Local Time:
Mon-Fri: 0900-1300 1400-1700

Daylight saving: Georgia does not change its clocks.

Website: http://ukingeorgia.fco.gov.uk/en/

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Governor's Office