Parliament Speaker, EU states’ ambassadors discuss implementation of conditions for Georgia’s candidate status
Papuashvili informed the ambassadors and the representatives of the embassies in detail about the schedule of submitting relevant legislative initiatives to the Parliament and then adopting them. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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The progress in the implementation of the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status was discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and diplomatic representatives of EU member states in Tbilisi.
Papuashvili informed diplomatic representatives of EU member states about the schedule of submitting relevant legislative initiatives to the Parliament and then adopting them, the Press Office of the Parliament said.
We met with the ambassadors and representatives of EU member states. We provided information on how the work related to the 12-point recommendations [outlined by EU] is progressing. We informed [them] on the time schedule, which is quite clear and strict, when the relevant [legislative] initiatives should be submitted and adopted”, Papuashvili said.
The head of the legislative body noted the formats envisaged by the regulations of the Parliament ensured the involvement of the parties in this process and the participation of all stakeholders was “important” in order to develop and review the relevant bills.
[I]t is important that everyone who is interested in the European future of Georgia [..] be in these working groups and [parliamentary] committee meetings in order to develop and further discuss the bills”, Papuashvili noted.
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said there were domestic political groups that did not want the country to receive the European Union membership candidate status as the result would “automatically imply that the Government has done a good job”.
Ruling Georgian Dream party MP Rati Ionatamishvili on Tuesday said it was “important” that the process of implementing the action plan for the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status continued “proactively”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the domestic opposition was “doing everything” to prevent the country from receiving the European Union membership candidate status as it believed the outcome would boost the Government’s position.
Anri Okhanashvili, the chair of the Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the ruling team would continue to “actively work” on the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union for granting the country the membership candidate status, and stressed that “the involvement of all political parties and stakeholders will be ensured in this process”.
Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee will create five working groups today to address the conditions outlined by the European Union for granting the country membership candidate status, with the issues of deoligarchisation, judicial reform, electoral code and creation of an anti-corruption agency, a special investigative service and a personal data protection service in particular focus, the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) said.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chairman of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, on Tuesday said the aim of the opposition United National Movement, Lelo and Strategy Aghmashenebeli parties was to “cast a shadow” over the process of the implementation of the European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
Anri Okhanashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the lawmaking body would “further strengthen” legislative activities directed against corruption.
The activities of the parliamentary working groups, created to review the judicial reforms for fulfilling the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status, and the progress in the implementation process were discussed on Tuesday by Anri Okhanashvili, the Head of Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the Georgian Dream ruling party and Julien Crampes, the Acting Head of the European Union Delegation to Georgia.
Anri Okhanashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday cautioned against “underestimating” the European perspective granted to the country by the European Union, and stressed doing so would mean underestimating “the choice of the Georgian people towards Europe”.
Representatives of the European Union Delegation to Georgia and the United States Embassy on Wednesday met with members of the Georgian Parliamentary opposition to discuss the implementation of the conditions outlined by the European Union for granting the country membership candidate status, the Georgian Parliament said.
Anri Okhanashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the ruling team was “focused on reviewing in detail each proposal” on the country’s judiciary system that was consistent with international standards.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union’s newly appointed Ambassador, on Friday, presented his credentials to Georgian Foreign Minister, Ilia Darchiashvili, after which the officials discussed the “wide range” of existing cooperation between Georgia and the EU, including the European Council’s decision to grant the country the European perspective.