EU commissioner welcomes “active work” of Georgian gov’t on EU membership status conditions
He added the bloc was already seeing positive changes in the direction of reforming the judicial system and progress in combating corruption, noting Transparency International’s remarks on the country’s “positive practice” in the latter objective and its position compared to other European countries in the work.Photo: Varhelyi's twitter page.
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Oliver Varhelyi, the EU commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, on Tuesday recognised the “active work” of the Georgian government on fulfilling the conditions outlined by the European Union for granting the country the membership candidate status.
Speaking at a joint briefing with Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili in Tbilisi, the EU official said in the “coming weeks and months” Georgia would have to “make a big effort to show that it is ready to become a candidate for European Union membership”, emphasising the outcome would only happen through united efforts of all players “inside and outside” the country.
The commissioner also pointed out he was happy to see the steps being taken in the country for the objective, including “important decisions” and proposals being prepared in the Georgian parliament.
He added the bloc was already seeing positive changes in the direction of reforming the judicial system and progress in combating corruption, noting Transparency International’s remarks on the country’s “positive practice” in the latter objective and its position compared to other European countries in the work.
Varhelyi also told the press conference the country needed to “work a lot” in order to create a fully independent anti-corruption agency and implement a bill on deoligarchisation, while also intensifying its fight against organised crime. The EU official added the faster the country fulfilled the EU priorities, the sooner its citizens would see the “benefits” stemming from the bloc’s membership candidate status.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili has signed the application for European Union membership on behalf of the country, noting the “historic day” in his address to citizens.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday said his government was “well aware” of the importance of the country’s “European future” and was recognising the “responsibility and spirit” of the realisation in its work on the implementation of the conditions or receiving the European Union membership candidate status.
“All genuine results” achieved on Georgia’s European integration path are the “merit” of the current government of the country, prime minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Tuesday at a press conference in Tbilisi with Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, on Tuesday said Georgia required “national consensus” to meet the 12-point conditions set by the bloc for granting the country the membership candidate status.
Oliver Varhelyi, the EU commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, on Tuesday said national consensus in Georgia was “necessary” for the work on the European Union’s conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
The European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, on Tuesday, discussed Georgia’s European perspective and the 12-point conditions set by the bloc for granting the country the membership candidate status at the meetings with Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili, parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili and representatives of various parliamentary parties.
The conference of parliamentary committees for union affairs of parliaments of the European Union on Tuesday adopted a declaration welcoming the June decision of the European Council to grant the EU membership candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova and a European perspective to Georgia.
Kakha Kaladze, the mayor of Tbilisi and the secretary general of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said Oliver Varhelyi, the EU commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, had voiced “clear messages” in support of Georgia's European integration, adding it was “very important” to see the progress the country had achieved on the path.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, on Wednesday tweeted Georgia had made a “very clear message” to the bloc that only EU membership would be considered “strong enough” for long-term peace, stability and prosperity for the country.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, on Tuesday told a press briefing in Tbilisi there were “obvious” signs the Georgian economy was developing.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, on Tuesday told a press briefing in Tbilisi the bloc wanted to have a “partnership in terms of reliable energy supply from Georgia”, and to establish energy security in Georgia, the Caucasus and Europe through the initiative.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union’s ambassador to Georgia on Thursday said the EU commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, during his official visit to the country, had had a “very clear” message to everyone in regard to the need for national consensus for implementing the conditions outlined by the EU for granting Georgia the membership candidate status.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, on Friday tweeted the partnership between Georgian authorities and the EU was preparing the country for membership in the bloc.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said the European Council granting European Union membership candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova “in advance” in June had been a “political decision”.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili told the country’s parliament on Friday the “destructive” domestic opposition had “attacked” and “insulted” in a “radical form and expression” Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, following the Georgian visit of the country’s “true friend”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said Georgia’s European Union integration had “solid support” from the Hungarian Government and its ruling party.