EU parliaments conference supports EU Council “readiness” to grant Georgia membership candidate status
The ruling Georgian Dream lawmaker Davit Songulashvili expressed support for Ukraine on behalf of Georgia at the Prague conference. Photo: parliament press office.
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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.
It also welcomed the “readiness” of the Council to grant Georgia the membership candidate status, after expressing “full support” for the trio on their path to join the bloc.
Speaking at the conference in Prague, which brought together MEPs from the bloc’s 27 member states and national MPs, as well as representatives of EU institutions, to discuss the future of the bloc and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Davit Songulashvili, the chairman of the sectoral economy and economic policy committee in the Georgian parliament, expressed his gratitude for the declaration.
He said his country was taking actions to use the “historic opportunity” and become a member of the bloc along with Ukraine and Moldova in a bid to develop connectivity between the EU and Georgia - particularly in the Black Sea region - as well as contribute to the strengthening of European energy security and diversification of markets.
The ruling Georgian Dream party senior MPs, Maka Bochorishvili and Davit Songulashvili, attended the recent Prague conference. Photo: parliament press office .
Songulashvili stressed Georgia's integration into the EU would also ensure stability and energy sustainability, and said “success can be achieved based on reliable partnership, and a great victory is possible only in this way”.
In his address the ruling Georgian Dream party legislator reiterated his country’s “unwavering support” for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and highlighted Georgia had also experienced a Russian invasion, with 20 percent of the country’s territories still occupied.
This [aggression] must end. We have the same response to Russian aggression against Ukraine as we had in 2008, when the former invaded our country. We strongly condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine and illegal annexation of its regions”, the MP said, noting “I believe that the freedom-loving nation and our ally Ukraine will celebrate its victory soon”.
Along with Songulashvili, the event held between Sunday and Tuesday was attended by Maka Bochorishvili, the chair of the committee on European integration in the Georgian parliament.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili welcomed the EU Council’s decision to ask the European Commission to examine applications for Union membership submitted by Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine on Twitter, stating “This new chapter in our relations motivates us to accelerate our reform agenda”.
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.
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.
The ruling Georgian Dream party on Friday presented its strategy for fulfilling the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Council for granting the country the European Union membership candidate status later this year.
Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday discussed the country’s ongoing electoral reform with experts of the Venice Commission and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe office for democratic institutions and human rights.