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.