Georgian President: European perspective granted by EU to Georgia “extremely important”
The President stressed a “working together” of domestic political parties meant plenary sessions in the Parliament or work in its committees, as well as participation in working groups presented by the Government and the majority of Parliament. Photo: President's Press Office,
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Georgia must understand that the European perspective granted to the country by the European Parliament and the European Council is “extremely important”, President Salome Zourabichvili said in a joint press conference with Members of the European Parliament on Wednesday.
Speaking at the press briefing in the Orbelian Palace in Tbilisi, Zourabichvili said the Council’s statement that Georgia would be granted EU membership candidate status at the end of the year if the country fulfilled the 12-point conditions outlined for it, as “perhaps even more important” than the former decision.
The President noted she expected the Georgian Government’s representatives would visit Brussels to “clarify some details” on how some parts of the conditions should be fulfilled with the European Commission.
Zourabichvili also said the work on the conditions should start in the Georgian Parliament, and added she had signed the statement on holding the summer session of the legislative body for the purpose.
She also said she believed it was “incomprehensible” to Members of the European Parliament that Georgia’s political spectrum did not start its work on the EU’s conditions “immediately”.
The President stressed a “working together” of domestic political parties meant plenary sessions in the Parliament or work in its committees, as well as participation in working groups presented by the Government and the majority of Parliament.
Zourabichvili emphasised the ruling Georgian Dream party, with its majority in the legislative body, had a “very big responsibility” that required a “constructive opposition” that would not “start opposing everything”.
The delegation of the European Parliament that met the President is on a two-day visit to the Georgian capital, where they will meet representatives of the executive and legislative authorities. Meetings are also planned with the domestic opposition, representatives of non-governmental organisations and the Georgian Public Defender.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Friday signed a decree convening a special session of the Parliament to address the 12-point recommendations outlined by the European Union for granting the country the membership candidate status.
The European Commision will present a report on the priorities in the enlargement package in 2023 to give the Georgian political system “sufficient time” to “thoroughly work” on the priorities for the European Union membership candidate status, Michael Rupp, a representative of the European Commission, said on Wednesday.
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said the policy of the opposition United National Movement party was to “somehow harm” the country, highlighting the party’s refusal to participate in fulfilling the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status later this year.
German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch on Wednesday said the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status later this year were a “big challenge” for the Georgian political spectrum and noted the domestic political parties must find the “strength to cooperate” with each other.
The fact that “serious work” on the implementation of the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union to Georgia for membership is underway and both the ruling party and the opposition have presented their plans has “given us great hope”, David McAllister, the Head of a European Parliament delegation said in a joint press conference with Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili in Tbilisi on Wednesday.
Georgia’s European Union integration and implementation of the 12-point conditions outlined by the EU to the country for membership were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and David McAllister, the Head of a European Parliament delegation.
Implementation of the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union to Georgia for membership was discussed on Wednesday by the representatives of Georgian Parliamentary opposition groups and members of the European Parliament delegation, led by David McAllister.
The war in Ukraine and its effects on the Black Sea region were discussed on Thursday between members of the Georgian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and a European Parliament delegation led by David McAllister.
A six-member delegation of the European Parliament, on a visit to Georgia, on Thursday observed the consequences of the Russian aggression in the country by visiting the occupation line near the central Georgian village of Odzisi.
Viola von Cramon, a member of the European Parliament and part of a EP delegation on visit to Georgia, on Thursday said it was a “pity” that some opposition groups in Georgia were missing “an important chance” to join the work on the implementation of the conditions outlined by the European Union to Georgia for membership.
728 Russian citizens, out of 3,265, who are originally from Georgia and meet the requirements of the law, have been granted Georgian citizenship in 2022 by the country’s President Salome Zourabichvili, the Public Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice reported on Friday.
Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, on Tuesday reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to Georgia’s European integration path after his meeting with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili in Brussels on Monday.