Romanian FM: Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova “belong to European Union”
The Minister noted granting the EU candidate status to the three countries was “important” because it would mark the beginning of a “very important process”, and the three Associated Trio countries needed a “road map for reforms.” Photo: Denes Albert
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Bogdan Aurescu, Romania's Foreign Minister, on Monday said Romania was “one of the biggest supporters” of Georgia's European integration, and pointed out the country “belonged” to the European Union along with Ukraine and Moldova.
We [Romania] have been supporting Georgia for a long time, including during the preparation of the [EU] questionnaire. We believe that Georgia's place, as well as that of Ukraine and Moldova, is in the European Union, because they belong to the European family,” the top Romanian diplomat told the Georgian Public Broadcaster.
The Minister noted granting the EU candidate status to the three countries was “important” because it would mark the beginning of a “very important process”, and the three Associated Trio countries needed a “road map for reforms.”
On May 10, Ilia Darchiashvili, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, expressed his hope that the country’s progress on the path of EU integration would be “properly” assessed by its European partners.
Darchiashvili noted the handover of the second completed part of Georgia's EU membership questionnaire to European authorities marked the completion of an “important process” that would lead to discussions on granting EU candidate status to Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili will travel today to Brussels to hold high-level meetings with the Secretary General of NATO, presidents of the European Council and the European Parliament, as well as other high-ranking European Union officials, the Government Administration said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ilia Darchiashvili on Tuesday expressed his hope the country’s progress on the path of European Union integration would be “properly” assessed by its European partners.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili handed over the second completed part of Georgia's European Union membership questionnaire, filled out by the country ahead of schedule, to Carl Hartzell, the Head of the EU Delegation to Georgia, on Tuesday.
Thea Tsulukiani, the Vice Prime Minister and Georgian Minister of Culture, on Tuesday said Georgia had “very high, reasonable and legitimate” expectations of joining the European Union if the latter showed the "necessary fairness" in its decision on the matter.
Georgia's European integration choice is a decision of both the Government and citizens of the country and has “no alternative,” Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said at an event dedicated to celebrations of Europe Day on Monday.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Monday said the visit of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to Brussels this week was “of special importance,” pointing to meetings with European Union leaders on the schedule of the Government head.
The applications for European Union membership by the Associated Trio countries of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia and the procedures related to their self-assessment questionnaires for the European Commission were discussed by Ilia Darchiashvili, the Georgian Foreign Affairs Minister, and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian at the EU External Relations Council in Brussels on Monday.
Enrico Valvo, the Italian Ambassador to Georgia, on Tuesday said the European Union membership bid of the country should be evaluated on “historical data,” in an address at a meeting of the Georgian Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs.