Parliament Committee Chair cautions against “underestimating” European perspective granted to Georgia
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on July 8 said the Council’s decision on granting the European perspective to Georgia instead was a “recognition of the progress” achieved by the country over the years. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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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”.
Okhanashvili noted the country had been granted the Association Agreement with the European Union in 2014, as well as visa-free travel to the Schengen Zone, free trade deal with the EU and the European perspective under the Georgian Dream Government, pointing out the agreements meant “the European structures trust the Georgian Government and the country”.
The European Union membership candidate status objectively and deservedly belonged to us but was not granted - the reasons for this are also clear to us”, the Parliament official said in reference to the decision by the European Council to not grant the country outright membership candidate status in June.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on July 8 said the Council’s decision on granting the European perspective to Georgia instead was a “recognition of the progress” achieved by the country over the years.
President of the European Council Charles Michel on July 6 said the EU was ready to grant the membership candidate status to Georgia once the priorities outlined by the bloc to the country were addressed.
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 Monday said the lawmaking body would “further strengthen” legislative activities directed against corruption.
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.
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.
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.
Anri Okhanashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the Parliamentary majority was “ready to cooperate” with the opposition in the lawmaking body on work for implementing the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union 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 Wednesday said the domestic “radical opposition” groups “must explain to the public” and Georgia’s partners “why they have sabotaged” the implementation of the European Union’s conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.