EU commission head says bloc wants Georgia to “advance, succeed” on integration path
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on Thursday met with Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili in Prague. Photo: government of Georgia press office
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Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on Thursday said the European Union wanted Georgia to “advance and succeed” on its EU path, as the country is working to meet the bloc’s 12-point conditions for receiving the membership candidate status.
- Georgian PM, European Commission president discuss implementation of EU membership status conditions
In her tweet following a meeting with Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili during the first session of the inaugural summit of the European Political Community in Prague, the EU official stressed the bloc “remains committed to Georgia's security and territorial integrity”.
Good meeting with Prime Minister @GharibashviliGe
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 6, 2022
The EU remains committed to Georgia's security and territorial integrity.
We also want ???????? to advance and succeed on its EU path. Reform efforts must be sustained.
The @EU_Commission is ready to support in this process. pic.twitter.com/bUiWXQTR3D
Calling the meeting “very productive”, Garibashvili expressed his gratitude to the EU for providing support for Georgia on its path towards Europe.
He also said his government had “immediately” begun to implement the conditions for the membership candidacy status, and stressed the “inclusive process” had allowed “all branches” of the government, as well as a part of domestic opposition and civil society, to be “fully involved” in the process via several working groups.
Very productive meeting w/ @vonderleyen on the future of security of the European continent. Grateful for the @EU_Commission for assisting ????????/w implementation of the reforms to ensure that ???????? is granted the ????????candidate status. ???????? is committed to ???????? future! pic.twitter.com/O7XrKkEQGB
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) October 6, 2022
In her previous comments, the EU commission president had addressed citizens of countries of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia and told them “you are part of our family, your future is in our union, and our union is not complete without you”.
The Georgian prime minister’s co-chairing of a discussion on peace and security in Europe at the inaugural summit of the European Political Community is a “very important signal” that the country is an “integral part of the European family”, foreign minister Ilia Darchiashvili said on Thursday.
The process of implementation of the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status was discussed on Thursday by the Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday attended the opening event of the first plenary session of the European Political Community in Prague.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Wednesday addressed citizens in countries of the Western Balkans as well as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia by telling them “you are part of our family, your future is in our Union, and our Union is not complete without you”.
Kakha Kaladze, the mayor of Tbilisi and the secretary general of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said the government was “ready to implement all reforms” and take “appropriate steps” for the country to become a “full-fledged” member state of Europe.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili, on behalf of the working group on the peaceful and secure future of the European Union thematic discussion, on Saturday, presented the summarising results of the discussion to the European leaders at the working dinner held within the framework of the European Political Community summit in Prague.
The 2022 national security strategy of the United States outlines the country will support “European aspirations” of Georgia and Moldova and their commitment to “important institutional reforms”.
The United States “strongly supports” the desire of Georgia and Moldova to join the European Union, Karen Donfried, the United States assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, said on Tuesday.
The European Union has recognised Georgia's European perspective, and it is up to candidate countries to reform their economies and their institutions and “advance towards our Union”, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on Wednesday.