EU ambassador congratulates Georgian president-elect, evaluates elections

 EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has extended his congratulations to Salome Zurabishvili on her election as president of Georgia, and stated that he is looking forward to cooperate closely with her in the future.

We also congratulate the people of Georgia for having exercised their right to vote in a calm and peaceful manner.

We welcome the assessment by the International Election Observation Mission that the elections were competitive and candidates were able to campaign freely. We also note the IEOM's assessment that the process was undermined by the undue advantage enjoyed by one side and the negative character of the campaign on both sides,” Hartzell said.

Hartzell encouraged all sides to draw lessons from these past weeks.

Investigations need to be carried out into reported irregularities and acts of violence. Such incidents are at odds with Georgian authorities' commitment to a fully fair and transparent election, and we encourage Georgian institutions to address shortcomings raised by OSCE and other observers, with a view to improving the framework for future elections,” he said.

Hartzell stated that the EU and the US, as strong partners and friends of Georgia, stand ready to assist and advance further their partnerships,” but from high ambitions follow high standards.