Portuguese PM: Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia are members of European family

Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, as well as the Western Balkans countries, are members of the European family, António Costa, the prime minister of Portugal said on Saturday at the international congress of the Party of European Socialists in Berlin, in which the Georgian delegation is participating.

Costa said all candidate countries were required to make efforts to reform their institutions and the European Union would need it with its institutions too. Under the current rules, the EU would not be able to accept new members and to be serious and achieve the result, “strong” European support would be required to receive the new members in the European family, where they are expected.

The Portuguese PM noted the EU had to take the expansion process “very seriously” and not to  “disappoint” the countries’ “expectations”.

The ruling Georgian Dream party delegation, led by Kobakidze, has been participating in the international congress in Berlin, which features high-ranking European politicians marking the anniversary of the PES. In addition, a resolution was passed on Friday, supporting Georgia’s European perspective.