Parliament Committee Chair: Georgia at “new stage” in EU relations, important to make “full use” of opportunities
In her remarks over the matter, Botchorishvili noted the working groups created in the Georgian Parliament for the implementation of the conditions issued by the European Commission for granting the country the EU membership candidate status. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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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.
In her remarks over the matter, Botchorishvili noted the working groups created in the Georgian Parliament for the implementation of the conditions issued by the European Commission for granting the country the EU membership candidate status.
Our goal is to show progress soon and the further evaluations [of our work] by the European Commission will be what our integration needs. We will discuss with our [European] partners the dynamics that we expect in the coming months. Visits to Georgia are planned, and we will actively continue the dialogue with various institutions of the European Union”, the Parliament official said.
Botchorishvili also added Georgian authorities were implementing the 2014-signed Association Agreement with the EU, stressing “this is the main document for Georgia to meet the requirements for joining the European Union”.
On June 24, the European Council granted the membership candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, and said it would be ready to grant the same status to Georgia once the outstanding priorities outlined by the European Commission were addressed by the Georgian Government.
On July 1, the ruling Georgian Dream party presented its strategy for fulfilling the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Council.
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.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said Georgia’s “track record of Europeanisation” made the country a “deserving candidate” for European Union membership.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday called for an enlargement of the European Union to eventually include Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
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 next meeting of the European Union-Georgia Association Council will host discussions on relations between the sides, reforms and sectoral cooperation and more in Brussels on Tuesday, the Council of the EU said on Friday.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said the Georgian Government had not deviated from the path that “involves joining the European family”.
The European Union will invite the next UK Prime Minister, as well as nine countries hoping to join the bloc, including Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and six western Balkan states, plus non-candidates Armenia and Azerbaijan to a summit on new pan-European security body scheduled on October 6 in Prague, a British daily newspaper The Guardian reported on Saturday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said his Government would discuss its progress and ongoing reforms at the meeting of the European Union-Georgia Association Council in Brussels on Tuesday.