Georgia needs “national consensus” for EU membership candidate status - EU commissioner

Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, on Tuesday called on Georgian stakeholders to work together for their country’s EU candidacy. Photo: Oliver Varhelyi’s twitter page

Agenda.ge, 15 Nov 2022 - 16:55, Tbilisi,Georgia

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. 

Speaking along with Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili in Tbilisi, the EU official said the European Council’s June decision to grant Georgia a European perspective had been a “unique opportunity”, adding it would be “regrettable” if the country missed the chance to gain the candidate status.  

Pointing to the “crucial role” of the Georgian parliament in adoption of the laws recommended by the EU, Varhelyi said he had plans to stress the significance of the involvement of MPs in the work with all lawmakers in the country.

He also said he hoped he would return to Brussels with “good news” after meetings in the Georgian parliament later today, and noted “what is irreversible is fundamental agreements on targets and tasks which lead to the EU”.