German parties support initiative to “rapidly grant” EU membership candidate status to Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine
The Georgian foreign office said in case the draft of the resolution was approved within the faction, it would be submitted to the Bundestag for discussion and voting.Photo: Bundestag.de.
Tweet 
Share
A number of German political parties, including the opposition CDU/CSU faction, have launched a motion supporting a “rapid granting” of European Union membership candidate status to the Associated Trio countries Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, German media reported on Tuesday.
In a resolution entitled Rapid Granting of EU Candidate Status to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, the group calls on the Federal Government of Germany to “support and advocate” for all three countries to be granted membership candidate status at the EU leaders summit scheduled on June 23-24, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.
Gunther Krichbaum, the faction's European Policy Spokesperson, said “opening the EU door” to the three countries was “in the interest” of the Union.
Given the long accession process, the faction has called for the “creation of a new model” before the full membership of the three countries to enable them to have closer ties with the EU, including in the fields of foreign, security and defence policies.
The Georgian foreign office said in case the draft of the resolution was approved within the faction, it would be submitted to the Bundestag for discussion and voting.
The European Council on Friday invited the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, to submit its opinions on the EU membership applications of the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.
German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch on Wednesday said he would participate in a public rally planned in Tbilisi in support of the country’s European Union integration and announced by Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili.
The Senate of Ireland on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling on the European Union and its institutions to grant Georgia the membership candidate status.
The German Bundestag on Monday approved a resolution supporting the Associated Trio countries of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia "on their European path”, the German Embassy to Georgia said.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday said the European Union membership candidate status must be granted “as soon as possible” to the Associated Trio countries of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said if the opinion of the European Commission on the European Union candidacy of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia was “based on merit”, then Georgia deserved the membership candidate status.
The European Commission on Friday recommended the European Council to grant Georgia “European prospective” before assessing how the country meets a number of conditions for receiving the European Union membership candidate status.
Georgia has been waiting for an official recognition of its European perspective for many years, and the Government is pleased that this perspective has been officially recognised by the European Commission, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Friday.
Hubert Knirsch, the German Ambassador to Georgia, on Sunday welcomed the Georgian Government’s initiation of work on a strategy to fulfil the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Council for granting the country the European Union membership candidate status, and said “all parties” should work in unison to overcome the polarised domestic political environment.