EU Ambassador: Union’s decision to open door to Georgia “truly historic” moment
Hartzell stressed the significance of all players in Georgia considering how best to make use of the “important opportunities” that had opened up for the country. Photo: EU Delegation to Georgia
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European Union Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell on Thursday said it was "very important for everyone in Georgia to realise” that the EU’s decision to “open the door” to Georgia with the European Council’s move to grant the country the European perspective was a “truly historic” moment.
Hartzell stressed the significance of all players in Georgia considering how best to make use of the “important opportunities” that had opened up for the country.
I believe it is very important for everyone in Georgia to realise that the EU’s decision to open the door to Georgia is a truly historic moment. Everyone needs to consider how best now to make use of the important opportunities that have opened up for the country. The European path remains a merit-based process. The ball is now in the court of Georgia”, the EU diplomat said.
He also stressed there was no time to waste as “the eyes and ears of Europe are currently focused on this region”.
For Georgia the challenge is to deliver on the 12 priorities [outlined by the European Council for granting the EU membership candidate status] basically as soon as possible. Once this has been done, it will send a very powerful message to the EU and its member states that Georgia is back on track and can be counted on to advance further. There’s no time for complacency because the momentum must not be lost. Action is needed now”, Hartzell concluded in his comments.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said it was “difficult to say" how long it would take for Georgia to receive the European Union membership candidate status, emphasising fulfilment of the conditions outlined by the EU for the outcome.
Georgia has received “guaranteed promise” to become EU member
By having been granted the "European perspective" by European Union bodies, Georgia has received "a guaranteed promise" that it will "definitely become" a member of the EU, Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili said on Friday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday highlighted a “historic” day as the European Council granted the country the “European perspective” to become a member of the European Union.
Josep Borrell, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Thursday said Georgia would be “automatically” granted the EU membership candidate status once the reform agenda criteria outlined by the European Commission are addressed.
Ireland is in favour of European enlargement, including for aspirations of European Union membership of Georgia, which needs “help and support and solidarity”, Simon Coveney, the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday.
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said a part of the domestic opposition was “sabotaging” the process of Georgia fulfilling the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting it the membership candidate status.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday held a farewell meeting with Carl Hartzell, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, with the officials discussing the existing cooperation between Georgia and the bloc in various fields before the latter’s end of term in the country.
Peter Stano, the spokesperson for the external affairs of the European Union, on Friday said Georgia would “get everything it had been promised” from the EU on the membership candidate status.
United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan on Friday called the 12-point conditions of the European Council “the ticket for Georgia getting its candidate status” and said their fulfilment was the “priority” for the Georgian people.
Givi Mikanadze, an MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the Parliamentary majority would not participate in the special session of the Parliament convened by the Georgian President on Monday.
Citizens opposition party MP Aleko Elisashvili on Monday said his party had not joined the request for holding a special Parliament session on Monday as the issues raised by the domestic opposition had “not been prepared”, and pointed out the session required “more work and coordination” from the Parliamentary majority and the opposition.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, on Tuesday highlighted the importance of meeting the Vice President of the German Bundestag Katrin Göring-Eckardt by highlighting the role of Germany as "one of the most important" partners for Georgia in the European Union and NATO.
The European Union Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell on Wednesday said the significance of the formal recognition of Georgia as a potential future member of the EU could “not be underestimated”.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday called for an enlargement of the European Union to eventually include Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said Georgia’s “track record of Europeanisation” made the country a “deserving candidate” for European Union membership.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said domestic opposition parties were “trying their best to sabotage” the process of the implementation of the European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said it was a “paradox” that a Commonwealth of Independent States member state enjoyed the European Union membership candidacy, while Georgia, which he said was “advanced in terms of reforms and democracy”, had yet to receive the status.