On 25 June 2012, Tbilisi hosted the 5th session of the EU-Georgian Cooperation Sub-committee on Justice, Freedom and Security. The Sub-committee co-chairs were the Director of the Department for European Integration, Mrs. Tea Akhvlediani and the Head of the Eastern Partnership Division of the EU Foreign Service, Mr. John Kjaer.

From the Georgian side the meeting was attended by representatives of relevant government agencies and from Europe, the representatives of the service of foreign policy actions, the European Commission and the EU delegation in Georgia.

At the Sub-committee sessions, the delegations discussed in details the issues of EU assistance in the spheres of legal and illegal migration, border management, document security, internally displaced persons, visa dialogue and implementation of readmission agreements and the fight against drugs, terrorism, money laundering and corruption, legal cooperation, freedom and security. The meeting was held in an open and constructive atmosphere.

At this stage, this subcommittee is of special significance in the context of the subsequent progress of cooperation between Georgia and the EU in the framework of the visa dialogue (EU-Georgian negotiations on the visa free travel began on June 4, 2012).

The EU-Georgian Cooperation Sub-committee on Justice, Freedom and Security represents one of the institutes of the EU-Georgian cooperation at the level of experts.

25 June 2012

Press and Information Department