Parliament Speaker: Georgia, Moldova received same green light on EU membership bids as Ukraine
Papuashvili said the EU had been “intensively” considered the applications submitted by Georgia and Moldova over the last days. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
Tweet 
Share
Georgia and Moldova have received the same “green light” from the European Union concerning their membership applications as Ukraine, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said on Friday, following EU leaders’ decision to invite the European Commission to submit opinions on the applications.
Papuashvili said the EU had “intensively” considered the applications submitted by Georgia and Moldova over the last days.
We welcome that the process has started. In particular, on the basis of the relevant procedures, the EU will examine the readiness of these three countries to be granted candidate status. Both the EU and the applicant countries will take a more focused approach to this issue, Papuashvili noted.
The Association Agreement remains the framework. The agreement outlines all the necessary goals that Georgia needs to achieve, including in terms of legislative approximation, the Georgian Parliament Speaker added.
The Committee on European Integration of the Parliament of Georgia on Friday supported the draft resolution on the country’s accession to the European Union.
The draft resolution contains 13 points and calls on EU member states and institutions, as well as the Georgian Government, to take all necessary steps to accelerate Georgia's accession to the Union.
Georgia officially applied for membership on March 3, with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili signing the country’s membership application.
The European Council on Friday invited the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, to submit its opinions on the EU membership applications of the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.
The Committee on European Integration of the Parliament of Georgia on Friday supported the draft resolution on the country’s accession to the European Union.
Georgia belongs to the European family and the Government is ready to implement the reforms that will eventually end with European Union membership, Archil Talakvadze, the Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, said on Friday.
Clement Beaune, the French European Affairs Minister, said on Thursday that Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova would “probably” join the European Union “in a few years.”
The Georgian Parliament will consider the draft resolution on Georgia's accelerated accession to the European Union this week.
The ongoing situation in Ukraine, European Union sanctions against Russia and Black Sea region security issues were discussed during a meeting between Nikoloz Samkharadze, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) MP who chairs the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Hubert Knirsch, Germany’s Ambassador to Georgia on Monday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili will personally hand over the first completed part of the country’s European Union membership questionnaire to Karl Hartzel, the Head of the EU Delegation to Georgia, on Monday.
The German Bundestag on Monday approved a resolution supporting the Associated Trio countries of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia "on their European path”, the German Embassy to Georgia said.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday personally handed over the first completed part of the country’s European Union membership questionnaire to Carl Hartzell, the Head of the EU Delegation to Georgia.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said he hoped the European Union would make a “historic and correct” decision by granting the Associated Trio countries of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova the status of membership candidates.
Georgia “deserves to receive” the European Union membership candidate status and the expectations of the Georgian citizens “must be met,” Levan Ioseliani, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament and a member of the opposition Citizens Party, said on Monday.