European Commission Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman, will travel to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan between 30 April and 4 May to discuss bilateral and regional cooperation and launch new initiatives.

On 1 and 2 May, he will be in Georgia to discuss EU-Georgia cooperation, including the work on the 9 steps linked to Georgia’s EU candidate status. Koopman will meet President Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, as well as members of the Government including First Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili and Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili.

He will also meet representatives of parliamentary parties and civil society, as well as investment partners. Mr Koopman will launch several EU funded projects to help rehabilitate Georgia’s irrigation network, to foster investments in renewable energy generation capacities and to support local currency lending for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.