Georgian PM tells Global Security Forum “only Russia will be happy” if EU does not grant candidate status to Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova

The Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said if the European Union did not grant membership candidate status to the Associated Trio countries of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, “only Russia will be happy” with the outcome.

In a discussion held at the Global Security Forum in Bratislava, Garibashvili noted his Government recognised the candidate status was different from granting immediate membership. 

We should not be afraid of giving this encouragement, this motivation to these democracies [Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova]. Let’s imagine that the European Union does not give the candidate status. Who will be happy in this world? Only Russia,” the head of the Georgian Government told the panel.

Garibashvili stressed not providing this “symbolic but meaningful” status would be a “mistake” given that Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova had been “loyal” in pursuing “all the reforms” outlined in their European aspirations.

I think this would be a mistake. We should convince our European friends to give the candidate status to all three countries,” he concluded.