European Council president points at links between EU’s financial aid for Georgia and reforms
European Council President Charles Michel (R) met with Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili in Kyiv yesterday. Photo: government of Georgia press office.
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European Council President Charles Michel has tweeted that the deadline for disbursement of macro financial assistance is looming and ‘it is time for the Georgian government to demonstrate its commitment to the agreements and notably the reform agenda.’
Michel’s tweet comes after yesterday’s meeting with Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili during the Crimea Platform forum in Kyiv.
Underlined to prime minister @GharibashviliGe that reforms are as needed as ever.
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) August 24, 2021
The deadline for disbursement of macro financial assistance is looming and it is time for the Georgian government to demonstrate its commitment to the agreements and notably the reform agenda. pic.twitter.com/v3GblCpssN
Michel put forward the EU-mediated agreement which was signed by the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the majority of opposition parties back in April 2021 to resolve a six-month, election-related political crisis in Georgia.
Along with election issues, the agreement obliged the signatories to ensure the implementation of large-scale reforms in the country, including in the judiciary field.
However, at the end of July 2021 the ruling party withdrew from the agreement.
Reassured @eucopresident that #Georgia remains committed to the reform agenda outlined in the April 19 Agreement. A significant part of these reforms has already been implemented & we are determined to continue working on the remaining important reforms as well. pic.twitter.com/cUOJq9aSuJ
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) August 24, 2021
Head of the party Irakli Kobakhidze stated then that the agreement ‘had completed its mission’ and accused opposition parties, particularly the main opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), of non-fulfilment of the agreement.
The ruling party said that the ‘greater portion of the reforms’ written in the agreement have already been implemented and promised the fulfillment of remaining ones.
The UNM, which refused to join the agreement because of a stipulation in it on amnesty of June 2019 protest convicts, said that the GD was afraid of the condition in the EU-mediated agreement which obliged the party to accept the holding of repeat parliamentary elections if it (GD)received less than 43 per cent of votes in the October 2 municipal elections.
The opposition is still hopeful that the ruling party will have to fulfill the EU-mediated agreement.
The survey conducted by the research organisation in the Caucasus region Gorbi, commissioned by TV channel Imedi, has reported that 46.8 per cent of Georgians would vote for the ruling Georgian Dream party if the local municipal elections were held today.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated at the nomination ceremony for a mayoral candidate in Marneuli municipality of eastern Georgia that only the ruling Georgian Dream party will be able to maintain peace and stability in the country. PM Garibashvili underscored that many problems remain unresolved such as lack of water and gas supply, paving roads and cultivation of agricultural lands in various Georgian villages, noting that ‘this should be our [the ruling party’s] main concern.’
Head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that ‘no elections will take place until the one scheduled in 2024.’
The ruling Georgian Dream party has annulled its signatory status to the April 19 EU-mediated agreement which resolved a six-month political crisis in the country following the 2020 parliamentary elections and proposed large-scale electoral and judiciary reforms.Head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze stated earlier today that the agreement initiated by the European Council President Charles Michel ‘had completed its mission’ and accused opposition parties of non-fulfilment of the agreement.
The United National Movement (UNM) and the European Georgia opposition party leaders say that the Georgian government has refused to take the second part of the EU’s €75 million euro loan because the EU was likely to impose sanctions against Georgia for the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party’s withdrawal from the April 2021 EU-mediated agreement.
The EU delegation to Georgia has responded to the Georgian government’s recent refusal to take the second tranche of the EU’s 150 million euro loan, stating that they ‘respect’ the decision, but noting that the country has been unable to completely fulfil preconditions that would have been needed to receive the second instalment.