Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Bidzina Ivanishvili will pay his first foreign visit in the capacity of Georgia's prime minister to Brussels, instead of his initially intended trip to the United States.

"We had a very interesting conversation and we have also received many advices," Ivanishvili said after a meeting with Stefan Fule, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, held in Tbilisi on Thursday. "I received an invitation to visit Europe and I have been convinced that... my first foreign visit should be to Europe."

Commissioner Fule conveyed to Ivanishvili, the winner of the recent parliamentary election in Georgia, an invitation from European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, inviting him to visit the EU headquarters.

Opposition coalition Georgian Dream, led by Ivanishvili, won the October 1 election, and secured a 85-seat majority in the 150-seat legislature, surpassing President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement, according to the electoral body's preliminary election tallies. Saakashvili, who will remain president until his current term ends in October 2013, on Wednesday nominated Ivanishvili as a candidate for the post of prime minister in the next cabinet. The Georgian Dream leader has already introduced candidates for ministerial posts in the new Georgian government.

During his meeting with Ivanishvili, Fule said the EU hopes that constructive cooperation with the new government of Georgia will continue.

"We appreciate the new government's willingness to maintain the aspiration toward the EU. Ivanishvili's visit to Brussels as PM will be scheduled in the near future," said David Usupashvili, candidate for the post of Georgian parliament speaker. Usupashvili, who attended the friendly meeting between Ivanishvili and the EU commissioner, added that Ivanishvili will also meet with heads of European organizations.

Earlier, Ivanishvili said he intends to pay his first official visit as prime minister to the U.S., although he had "received invitations from Europe".

A Georgian governmental delegation is due to participate in a meeting of the EU-Georgia cooperation committee in Brussels. The delegation includes deputy ministers of foreign affairs, justice and internal affairs of Georgia, as well as a representative of the State Reintegration Minister's office.

The delegation also comprises members of the Georgian Dream coalition, including a candidate for the post of Deputy Foreign Minister David Zalkaniani.

The committee meeting will discuss the situation and reforms in Georgia, the South Caucasus republic's relations with Russia, the conflicts flaring in its territory, visa facilitation and deepening of trade cooperation.