Hungary applauds Georgia’s “reform efforts” and “hard work”

AA signing celebration in Tbilisi, Georgia, June 27, 2014. Photo by N. Alavidze / Agenda.ge
Agenda.ge, 09 Dec 2014 - 15:59, Tbilisi,Georgia

Hungary’s National Assembly’s ratification of the Georgia-European Union (EU) Association Agreement (AA) deal has come into force after the country’s President Janos Ader signed the document yesterday.

With this act, the Hungarian ratification process concluded after it was officially started in Parliament on November 25.

Along with Georgia’s AA deal, the Hungarian president also signed corresponding documents for Moldova and Ukraine.

"By ratifying the AA’s in an early phase, Hungary wished to demonstrate the importance it attributes to the support of the EU’s Eastern Partnership program and to the European choice, as well as to the EU integration perspective of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine,” the Hungarian Foreign Ministry said.

Hungary also welcomed the "substantial progress” reached by the three countries in developing stronger political, economic and institutional relations with the EU.

"[…] we applaud the reform efforts and hard work of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, which made the signature of the AA’s possible on 27 June this year,” the Ministry said.

"We are convinced that the implementation of the Association Agreements will not only help our associated partners to move further on their European track, but will also contribute to achieving national consolidation and social cohesion, as well as to the preservation of their sovereignty, territorial integrity and national independence.”

The AA deals were signed by Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova and EU representatives in Brussels on June 27.

EU association deals need to be ratified by all 28 EU member countries as well as the European Parliament (EP) before they can be fully implemented.

The EP said it would ratify the document this month.