Slovenian Parliament Speaker vows support for Georgia’s EU candidate bid
In her remarks, she also stressed her country would do “everything” to ensure that “Georgia receives the candidate status in 2023”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Georgia's integration into the European Union, the “severe” situation in the Russian-occupied territories of the county and the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, and Urška Klakočar Zupančič, the Speaker of the Slovenian Parliament.
Zupančič confirmed her support for granting the EU membership candidate status to Georgia and noted support for the country from EU member states was “important”, the Georgian Parliament’s press office said.
In her remarks, she also stressed her country would do “everything” to ensure that “Georgia receives the candidate status in 2023”.
On his part, Samkharadze reviewed the implementation of the EU conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status, the current situation in the South Caucasus and the role of Georgia in promoting “peace and stability” in the region.
[S]lovenia will continue to support us on this [EU integration] path, and I hope that with the support of Slovenia and other partners, next year the European Union will make the correct and fair decision and grant Georgia the status of an EU candidate country”, the Georgian official noted in comments following the meeting.
The officials emphasised the need to “strengthen” parliamentary ties and agreed to continue working for the purpose.
Russian aggression in Ukraine, regional challenges, Georgia’s European Union membership bid and relations with NATO were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, and Tanja Fajon, the Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Polish President Andrzej Duda on Monday said his country was supporting Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Georgia continues to fulfil visa liberalisation benchmarks and has taken action to address the European Commission’s previous recommendations, the fifth report of the Commission on the fulfilment of visa-free obligations by Eastern Partnership countries and the Balkan states said on Monday.
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said Georgia's aspirations to join the European Union were “well received” in the Netherlands.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's European Union Integration Committee, on Wednesday said Luxembourg would be a contributor to the integration of Georgia into the European Union.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said the country would “never get involved” in the ongoing war in Ukraine, stressing the policy as “our clear position”.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, on Thursday said the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine had changed the existing security environment, “further increasing the importance” of the Black Sea and South Caucasus regions.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili will feature in a ministerial meeting of the Eastern Partnership on Monday, with the event bringing together European Union foreign ministers and their counterparts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili will feature in a ministerial meeting of the Eastern Partnership on Monday, with the event bringing together European Union foreign ministers and their counterparts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's European Union Integration Committee, on Monday said “most” of the foreign ministers at the EU’s Eastern Partnership meeting on Monday had “emphasised” that the European perspectives of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova should be implemented “as quickly as possible” within the framework of the bloc’s enlargement policy.
The European Union has recognised Georgia's European perspective, and it is up to candidate countries to reform their economies and their institutions and “advance towards our Union”, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on Wednesday.