Agence Europe, 29/30-03-99

After Georgia's accession to the Council of Europe (which thus has 41 members), Belgian Radical Olivier Dupuis, MEP, states that the decision opens the road to a formal request for accession by Georgia to the European Union. According to Mr Dupuis, this would be a "strategic political choice" in the interest not only of Georgia itself but also of the European Union "which should be present in Central Asia for which Georgia is undoubtedly the best access road".