German Chancellor backs EU enlargement to include Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia
Scholz underlined Germany's “commitment” to EU enlargement, stressing that the countries of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and eventually also Georgia should join the bloc. Photo: Reuters
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday called for an enlargement of the European Union to eventually include Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
In a speech entitled Europe is Our Future, Scholz said “we must bring the clout of our united Europe much more strongly to bear [...] Europe is our future. And that future is in our hands”.
Scholz underlined Germany's “commitment” to EU enlargement, stressing that the countries of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and eventually also Georgia should join the bloc.
In this expanded Union, the differences between the member states will grow as far as political interests, economic clout and social security systems are concerned. [...] I have therefore proposed a gradual transition to majority voting in common foreign policy, but also in other areas, such as tax policy”, the German Chancellor noted.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s European Union Integration Committee, on Friday said Georgia was at a “new stage” in its relations with the European Union and called for making “full use” of “new opportunities” as part of the EU enlargement policy.