Former EU Ambassador to Russia,Croatia on EU enlargement: ‘after W.Balkans, Georgia’
Paul Vandoren says that EU institutions must continue to ensure that pro-European countries such as Georgia see the European Union as their ultimate goal. Photo: EPP.
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Paul L. Vandoren, a former EU Ambassador to Croatia and former acting EU Ambassador to Russia says that the EU is likely to acknowledge Georgia’s progress made to the EU on the June 18th Eastern Partnership Summit, adding that it is hard to say what terminology will be used to describe Georgia’s prospects for EU membership.
Vandoren told Imedi TV that EU enlargement has not been popular over the past several years among EU member states.
He said that during the previous Zagreb Summit the EU refused to use the term of ‘enlargement’ in terms of the Western Balkan states. However, the EU expressed its commitment ‘to the European perspective of the Western Balkans.’
If you put out a date, it will not work. It will only get people frustrated. Let’s see what the EU will say in June. It’s obvious, after the western Balkans, Georgia will be there,” Vandoren stated.
He said that Georgia is on the right track and the country’s government, parliament and people should stand together on the country’s path to the EU and NATO.
Georgia is successfully fulfilling the EU-Georgia Association Agreement,” Vandoren said.
EU's Eastern Partnership summit will take place in June. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Vandoren stated that Georgia’s EU and NATO membership is largely supported by the country’s population and the EU ‘is also positive on Georgia’, providing large financial support for Georgia amid the pandemic.
He said that Russia continues its illegal activities on the Georgian territory.
Vandoren stated that the EU will not drop sanctions against Russia until the problem in Ukraine is resolved.
As long as in Russia the president and the government does not understand that it is in the interests of the Russian citizens to change the situation, we will remain in a deadlock,” Vandoren said.
Vandoren said that the Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili took a ‘brave step’ when she pardoned two opposition leaders, expressing hope that the ruling party and the opposition will work together for the constitutional changes in face of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
In his story for EURACTIV in mid-May Vandoren said that EU institutions must continue to ensure that pro-European countries such as Georgia see the European Union as their ultimate goal.
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