EU commissioner: Georgia sent “very clear message” over membership, bloc “ready to deliver” on it
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, visited Georgia on Tuesday. Photo: government press office
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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.
In his tweet, which came on the heels of the EU official’s visit to Georgia, Varhelyi stressed “I am here to tell you that we are ready to deliver on this message”.
In this new geopolitical era, ???????? made a very clear message to us: it is only ????????membership that #Georgia considers to be strong enough for long-term peace, stability & prosperity. I am here to tell you that we are ready to deliver on this message.
— Oliver Varhelyi (@OliverVarhelyi) November 16, 2022
⏩press https://t.co/e5J9LPUzr8 pic.twitter.com/7MIfKRh4Yi
Welcoming the efforts of the country’s authorities to meet the 12-point conditions set by the EU to grant Georgia the membership candidate status, and the country’s economic progress despite existing challenges sparked by Russia-Ukraine war, the commissioner called on the domestic opposition to join the government’s work to gain the status.
Very important decisions, proposals are being done and prepared in the parliament, and I see that the government is also very active in working to complete all the work related to achieving the 12 priorities”, he said while in Tbilisi.
The EU official also discussed major economic projects along with Georgian officials and foreign financial institutions, which he said could benefit the bloc and also accelerate the economic growth in Georgia and make the country more resilient.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the parliament, on Wednesday said the “negative reactions” of some domestic opposition groups over the recent visit and “positive comments” of the European Union commissioner Oliver Varhelyi on Georgia’s progress on its EU path “once again proved they are fighting against the country’s European integration”.
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.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said messages delivered by Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, in his visit to Georgia this week were “promising” for Georgia’s European integration process, a development he said “irritated” the domestic “radical” opposition.
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.
Khatuna Samnidze, an opposition MP and the chair of the Republican Party, on Friday said Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, had demonstrated his support for Georgia during his visit to the country this week.
Georgian economy minister Levan Davitashvili on Monday said there was a “definite progress” in the country’s implementation of conditions for receiving the European Union membership candidate status, and stressed the priorities would be fulfilled at a “high level”.