Opposition’s reactions to EU commissioner’s “positive comments” “proof” they are against Georgia’s EU integration - ruling party MP
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the parliament, said on Wednesday the “radical part” of the domestic opposition was acting against Georgia’s European Union membership candidate status. Photo: Imedi TV
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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”.
The MP said the authorities had to work to fulfil the 12-pont conditions set by the European Commission in June to grant the country the bloc’s membership candidate status amid “continued sabotage and destructive moves” by several opposition parties, including the largest opposition group, the United National Movement.
Mdinaradze said the “radical parties” had been using “affiliated” organisations and foreign politicians to portray the country in a “negative context” and hamper its Euro-Atlantic integration process.
The genuine reason why the radical wing of the opposition has refused to join the work for the country’s membership candidate status is that they do not want Georgia to gain the status”, said the MP, and added the opposition politicians had also lobbied European authorities to reject visa-free travel and other “crucial” agreements with Georgia over the recent years.
Salome Samadashvili, an MP for the Lelo opposition party, described Varhelyi, a Hungarian politician, as Hungarian president Viktor Orbán’s “man” and an official “restricted in his mandate and statements” in the wake of the EU politician’s visit.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.