The minister of Finance Ivane Matchavariani met with the EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell, who started diplomatic activity in the country in September of this year.

At the introductory meeting Ivane Matchavariani congratulated the guest on his appointment on new position and expressed his hope that the partnership between Georgia and the EU will be further strengthened during his term.

The sides discussed the progress of the issues envisaged under the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas Agreement with the European Union. As the Minister of Finance noted, the programs of the EU's political, financial and technical assistance play an important role in the implementation of the Georgian government's plan. The importance of the new macro-financial assistance of up to € 45 million allocated for Georgia by the EU in the beginning of September was emphasized, which will be used to support the reforms planned by the Government of Georgia.

According to the statement of Ivane Matchavariani, the aim of the mentioned financial support is to further strengthen the economy's sustainability towards foreign risks and to promote inclusive economic development in the country. At the meeting the sides discussed the progress of the program under EU foreign investment plan, as well as measures implemented in the direction of energy efficiency.
The successes achieved within the reform of the Public Financing Management (PFM) and the positive results of assessing public expenditure and financial accountability (PEFA) were noted.

The EU Ambassador positively assessed the ongoing cooperation with Georgia and noted that the EU continues actively the firm support of Georgia's government reforms in the future.