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Press material Monday 19 April 2021   ● European Council   19/04/2021 21:02 | Statements and remarks | Remarks by President Charles Michel at the signing ceremony of the Georgia agreement with President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili   Six weeks ago, on 1 March, I met with you all in Tbilisi. I called on you to relaunch political dialogue to set aside the political stalemate in your country and we met at the President's Palace where you are meeting tonight. I put on the table five substantive points that needed to be addressed to overcome the challenges. I promised to you I would remain engaged. I appointed my Personal Envoy, Mr Danielsson, who visited Georgia twice and I asked my team to accompany the process. Six weeks later, the crisis is over. I want to thank you all for your commitment and courage to put the differences aside in the interest of Georgia. I would like to thank the diplomatic team that has worked so tirelessly with you - Christian Danielsson as well as Ambassador Hartzell and Ambassador Degnan. I am thankful for all their efforts. I am thankful to the Prime Minister for his vision. And I am thankful to you, political leaders and elected members of opposition parties for your courageous political choices. I would also like to thank you, President Zourabichvili: we were in close contact throughout this period and would like to thank you for sharing your advice with me. This agreement is not the finish line. This agreement is the starting point for your work towards consolidating Georgia's democracy and taking Georgia forward on its Euro-Atlantic future. More than ever, I am convinced Georgian citizens count on you to focus on the pressing challenges Georgia is facing - the economy, the Covid-19 pandemic and its fall out, reforms in the rule of law sphere and the judiciary, as well as the regional challenges. Lastly, I also believe that the new chapter you have opened today is particularly important in the difficult regional context. The region is facing many challenges, as the Nagorno-Karabakh war painfully reminded us last year. Today, the military build-up along Ukraine's borders and in the illegally-annexed Crimea is of a deep concern. The way you have addressed the stalemate today is particularly important in this regional context. It is a truly European way of resolving the crisis. I have the pleasure to announce that I will come to Georgia tomorrow to meet you all to strengthen the ties between Georgia and Europe. This is a clear sign of confidence in you. Press material Monday 19 April 2021   ● Council of the EU   19/04/2021 18:14 | Press release | Justice, rights and values: Council adopts programmes of up to €1.8 billion for 2021-2027   The Council today adopted the two programmes which constitute the EU justice, rights and values fund as part of the EU financial framework for 2021-2027. The programmes will help to further promote, strengthen and protect justice, rights and EU values. They will support the further development of an European area of justice based on the rule of law, mutual recognition and mutual trust. ""The COVID-19 pandemic has hit us in many ways, from our health to our economic and social fabric, and the recovery efforts will build the Europe we will live in for decades to come. It is of utmost importance to ensure that in doing this we strengthen our democratic and open societies, we build a future based on our common values and we promote our citizens right to justice by further developing a modern, well-functioning justice area. The funding under these programmes will be key to help us achieve this." Francisca Van Dunem, Portuguese Minister of Justice The rights and values programme will have an overall budget of maximum 1.55 billion (a budget of €641.7 million, with an additional allocation of maximum €912 million) and it sets out four specific objectives: - to protect and promote EU values - to promote equality and rights, including gender equality, anti-discrimination and the rights of children - to promote citizens engagement and participation in the democratic life of the EU and to raise awareness of the common European history - to fight violence, notably against children and women The justice programme will have a budget of €305 million and it sets out the following specific objectives: - to facilitate and support judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters and to promote the rule of law independence and impartiality of the judiciary - to support and promote judicial training, with a view to fostering a common legal, judicial and rule of law culture - to facilitate effective and non-discriminatory access to justice for all, including by electronic means, and to support the rights of victims of crime as well as the procedural rights of suspects and accused persons Position of the Council at first reading and statement of the Council's reasons on the regulation establishing the citizens, equality, rights and values programme Position of the Council at first reading and statement of the Council's reasons on the regulation establishing the justice programme Rights and values programme: Council presidency and European Parliament reach provisional agreement (press release, 17 December 2020) Justice programme: Council presidency and European Parliament reach provisional agreement (press release, 18 December 2020) Long-term EU budget 2021-2027 and recovery package (background information)