EU ready to step in to police upcoming election in Georgia

27.11.2003 / 00:00 CET

THE EU stands ready to supervise January elections in Georgia following last week's bloodless coup in the former Soviet state, the Italian presidency has said.
Franco Frattini, Italy's foreign minister, also declared he would be in favour of a top-level EU visit to Georgia in the near future, provided this could be arranged in cooperation with Russia.
Nino Burjanadze, chair of the country's parliament, has taken over as interim president following the demonstrations which ousted veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze from power last weekend.
Burjanadze, however, announced yesterday (26 November) that she wouldnot be standing in the 4 January election, declaring instead that she would be supporting Mikhail Saakashvili, the man who orchestrated the mass protests that toppled Shevardnadze.
Georgia is a significant worry for EU policymakers as it lies in a highly volatile region, neighbouring the conflict-riven breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya.
It is also of considerable geopolitical importance as it a key area for the transport of oil and gas from the Caspian Sea.
davidcronin@economist.com

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The week ahead

6 March: EU officials meet US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Brussels. On the agenda: Kosovo and the western Balkans, Russia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Middle East, Kenya and Chad, visas;

8 March: general and local elections, Malta;

9 March: general election, Spain;

10 March: EU foreign ministers meet, Brussels. On the agenda: the European Council, western Balkans, Afghanistan and Paki-stan, Georgia, Zimbabwe, trade;

10-13 March: Parliament plenary, Strasbourg. On the agenda: the European Institute of Technology, health check of the Common Agricultural Policy, European Council;

11 March: Weekly Commission meeting, Strasbourg. On the agenda: the future of EU agencies, relations with Africa, reducing administrative burdens, US visa-waivers, antitrust and merger cases;

11-12 March: EU justice and home affairs ministers meet informally, Brdo, Slovenia. On the agenda: management of the EU's external borders and relations with the US, including visas, data protection, combating terrorism and orga-nised crime, judicial co-operation.