European Parliament approves resolution on implementation of Georgia-EU Association Agreement
The European Parliament on Wednesday approved the resolution on the implementation of the Association Agreement between Georgia and the European Union. Photo: European Parliament
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The European Parliament on Wednesday approved the resolution on the implementation of the Association Agreement between Georgia and the European Union.
Approved with the support of 430 MEPs, with 52 voting against and 126 abstaining, the resolution was prepared based on a report by Sven Mikser, an Estonian MEP, member of the Progressive Alliance of European Socialists and Democrats, and Rapporteur of the European Parliament on Georgia.
The Foreign Relations Committee of the European Parliament had supported the report on Georgia's implementation of the Association Agreement with compromise amendments on November 8.
One of the amendments to the report said “the European Parliament emphasises the need to eliminate the excessive influence of personal interests in economic, political and public life as one of the priorities defined by the European Commission, which should be considered before granting Georgia candidate status”.
It also reiterates its call on the European Council and democratic partners to take “appropriate measures”, including by “imposing personal sanctions on the former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and all those who facilitate and are responsible for the deterioration of the democratic political process, if it is proven that Georgia helps Russia to avoid international sanctions”.
The annual report, adopted by the European Parliament, also expressed concern that “deep polarisation continues to be a defining feature of Georgia's political environment”.
The report calls on all political parties in Georgia to refrain from “divisive and aggressive” rhetoric and unite their forces in order not to jeopardise the country’s accession to the European Union.
Mikser said the report would also include an amendment with a recommendation to the President of Georgia to pardon Nika Gvaramia, the founder of Mtavari Arkhi channel convicted for corrupt commercial deals during his time at the head of the Rustavi 2 channel. The MEP said the amendment would be based on opinions expressed by the Georgian Public Defender on December 7.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Tuesday said the path Georgia was taking in its European Union integration should ultimately “lead the country” to the EU.
The European Union has confirmed its commitment to the Eastern Partnership and willingness to make it “more flexible and tailored” to the needs of partners, the European Council said on Monday following a meeting of foreign ministers of member states and EaP.
Efforts made by the Georgian Government on the path of European integration were discussed on Monday in a meeting between the Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and Josep Borrell, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Monday stressed the importance of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership in the process of political and economic rapprochement of the partner countries with the bloc.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday said the annual report of the European Parliament about Georgia included an “absurd note” on the country’s alleged evasion of sanctions imposed by the international community against Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine and there was not presented “any proof of it” in the report.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's European Union Integration Committee, on Thursday alleged there was a group of MEPs in the European Parliament that acted under the guise of being supporters of Georgia while “sparing no effort” to undermine the country’s European future.
If Georgia has to be punished for getting rid of a “totalitarian and sadist” regime [of the 2004-2012 United National Movement Government], it would be a decision against the people of the country, Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze on Thursday said in response to a recent resolution of the European Parliament.