Vice PM: United National Movement party, its lobbyists "trying their best" to prevent Georgia receiving EU membership candidate status
Tsulukiani was responding to a statement by the European People's Party on Georgia, suggested by the domestic UNM opposition, which said “in recent years” the EPP had observed “with great concern” a trend of “democratic backsliding” in Georgia. Photo: Government Administration
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The United National Movement opposition party and its Western lobbyists, specifically the European People's Party, are "trying their best" to prevent Georgia from obtaining the European Union membership candidate status, Thea Tsulukiani, the Georgian Vice Prime Minister and Culture Minister, said on Wednesday.
Tsulukiani was responding to a statement by the European People's Party on Georgia, suggested by the domestic UNM opposition, which said “in recent years” the EPP had observed “with great concern” a trend of “democratic backsliding” in Georgia.
[N]ow our society is well aware that United National Movement and its lobbyists, in this case, specifically the European People's Party, which is considered a partner organisation of United National Movement, are trying their best not to allow the Georgian people, our country to receive the European Union membership candidate status,” Tsulukiani said.
The Vice PM called the EPP statement, which was released on Thursday, “quite absurd.”
We must do everything, not just the Government, but also the public, to be united, more cohesive in our spirit on the path to the European Union. […] We must redouble our efforts to ensure that the relevant European Union leaders make the only right decision - the only historically, culturally and legally justifiable decision - to grant Georgia the European Union membership candidate status,” Tsulukiani concluded.
Ned Price, the United States Department of State Spokesperson, said in a briefing on Tuesday the US “strongly supports" the European aspirations of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s European Union Integration Committee, on Tuesday said Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova “deserved” to become members of the European Union.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the European Union had "no reason to reject" Georgia's application for membership, "especially" if it granted candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s European Union Integration Committee, on Tuesday accused opposition MPs of “feeding” the groups lobbying within the European Union against Georgia being granted a member status with their “negative statements”.
The statement by the European People's Party on Georgia shows the agenda of the United National Movement opposition party and a part of the opposition “absolutely diverges” from the interests of the country, Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, said on Wednesday.
The Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said the European Union should demonstrate a “long-term interest” in the Black Sea region by granting membership candidate status to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said “all the crimes committed” by the United National Movement opposition party during their time in power were “secondary” to the European People's Party.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday criticised the European Parliament resolution on violations of media freedom and the safety of journalists in Georgia by saying the document was “not worth a dime”.
Sozar Subari, a member of People’s Power, a public movement composed of the former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Thursday said “all those” who wanted to “revive” the opposition United National Movement party and “bring it to power” had “realised” it was “impossible” to do so and “now switched to open struggle”.