PM believes EU will make “reasonable, wise” decision on Georgia's membership bid
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday expressed his belief the European Union would make a “reasonable, wise and fair” decision on the membership candidate status of Georgia. Photo: Government Administration
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday expressed his belief the European Union would make a “reasonable, wise and fair” decision on the membership candidate status of Georgia.
In an apparent reference to a part of the Georgian opposition Garibashvili expressed his regret that domestic “destructive” forces were still trying to carry out an “anti-state campaign with sponsored media articles and meetings” in Brussels.
He also noted a part of the Georgian opposition had urged European politicians not to grant visa-free travel to Georgia under the Georgian Dream Government in 2017, and the “same thing” was happening currently on the issue of the European Union membership candidate status.
It is certainly unfortunate that the destructive forces within the country have tried and are trying, including through sponsored articles and stories in foreign media, meetings in Brussels, to carry out the anti-state and irresponsible campaign against their own country and citizens. Our European colleagues were surprised when telling me this,” the head of the Georgian Government said.
I believe that there are wise and prudent politicians in the European Union and they will make a wise, prudent and fair decision,” Garibashvili concluded.
On May 23, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, called on the “radical opposition” in the country to “stop campaigning against” Georgia being granted the European Union candidate status.
The ruling party official noted “only those who want to cause unrest” and “get the country involved in war” could oppose the process of the country gaining EU candidate status.
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.
Granting Georgia the status of a European Union membership candidate would give the country “additional motivation” and represent a “recognition of progress” it has achieved, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Friday in a discussion held at the Global Security Forum in Bratislava.
Citizens opposition party MP Aleko Elisashvili on Friday said there were “some disgraceful people” among the domestic opposition who may have campaigned with the country’s European partners against granting Georgia the European Union member candidate status.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday called on the “radical opposition” in the country to “stop campaigning against” Georgia being granted the European Union candidate status.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said there would be “no second front” opened in Georgia amid the war in Ukraine, and noted the Government and citizens of the country wanted “peace, stability and development.”
Georgia has made its move and now it is the time for the European Union to grant membership candidate status to the country without delay, given the current geopolitical pressures, Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, said on Tuesday in a letter addressed to Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament.
The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said the European Union could confirm its “long-term interest in our region” by granting the membership candidate status to Georgia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Saturday said he remained “optimistic” that a “sensible decision” would be made by the European Commission on the country’s European Union membership bid, which he said would be in the “best interest of both sides”.