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.
Papuashvili was responding to a tweet by David Mcallister, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, who had said granting candidate status to the Associated Trio countries was an “important political signal” at a time when the security of the whole Black Sea region was “at stake”.
“It is indeed a moment of truth for the European Union, and the credibility and legitimacy of its status as an international actor. Being at this strategic juncture, the Union should demonstrate its long-term interest towards the region by granting a candidate status to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine,” the Parliament Speaker tweeted.
It is indeed a moment of truth for the #EU, and credibility & legitimacy of its international actorness. Being at this strategic juncture, the Union should demonstrate its long-term interest towards the region by granting a candidate status to #Georgia, #Moldova and #Ukraine. https://t.co/Ihhu0G3dyS
— Shalva Papuashvili ???????? (@shpapuashvili) June 2, 2022
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.
Botchorishvili underlined the three countries were “European states” that shared “European values,” and represented a part of “European culture and history”.