Parliament Speaker: no time for “critical look” at Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova ahead of “political decision” on EU membership

This is not the time for the European Union to “look critically” at Georgia, Ukraine or Moldova when a “political decision” on the countries’ membership bids are to be taken, Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, said on Friday.

Papuashvili said the EU itself had “opened up the possibility and accelerated the process” of granting membership candidate status to the Associated Trio countries, “signalling” it was ready for a political decision on the matter.

The official also highlighted the Union’s request for the three states to fill out their membership questionnaire forms, pointing to deadlines set “not for a year but over a month”.

The Parliament Speaker noted it was under the ruling Georgian Dream party that “progress” in the country had “become possible” since its signing of the Association Agreement with the EU in 2014.

Papuashvili also highlighted the “right reforms” had led to Georgia being granted visa-free travel with Schengen Area countries, and was now waiting for the confirmation of the candidate status for EU membership. 

The ruling party member said when Georgian Dream had announced its intention to apply for membership in 2024 in the run-up to the 2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia, “other politicians” in the country had looked at the move “with irony and scepticism” but had recently transformed into presenting themselves as “main leaders” in the integration process.