Georgian PM: By “merit-based” decision, Georgia deserves EU candidate status

The Georgian Government is doing its “utmost” to obtain the status of a European Union membership candidate state and by “merit-based” decision the country deserves the candidate status, the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Sunday in an interview with Imedi TV.

Garibashvili praised the Georgian Parliament’s “hard work” with the Government to implement the 12-point conditions outlined by the EU [in June 2022] for granting the membership candidate status to Georgia later this year, “in the shortest possible time”.

According to the latest report by the EU, Georgia is “far ahead in all directions”, compared to Ukraine and Moldova, the Prime Minister said and stressed the EU had made a “political decision” by not granting Georgia the candidate status, noting the country has been “punished in a way”.

As for the candidate status in general, we are doing everything, and we have already done the maximum—the Parliament has worked very well with the Government. Together we all did everything toward fulfilling every recommendation within maximally tight deadlines. I have said it before, and I will repeat that, of course, if we look at Moldova and Ukraine, we know what is happening there. In the latest EU report, we are far ahead of them—we are two, three times ahead of Ukraine and Moldova, in every direction. But we know that they made a political decision, punishing us in a way, saying that the status will be later, not now, so we need to wait. We replied: we understand, thank you, and we received the European perspective. The status was given to them in advance. We do not envy anyone, and we have said it many times before. But—since we are doing everything—we expect to receive the status before the end of this year. If we are talking about deserved candidate status, our contrary certainly deserves it. If anyone sabotages this process, and wants to sabotage it, these are the same destructive and anarchist forces,” the PM empasised.

He also highlighted the ruling Georgian Dream party as the initiator to make the entry in the Constitution of Georgia, that the only, non-alternative and irreversible path of the country is Euro-Atlantic integration.

The Head of the Government said if anyone sabotaged the European integration process it would be “destructive, radical” domestic opposition, noting that this means they would try to “have more riots, destroy the economy, and tourism”.

Every country and every state has its own interests, but we have our own interests and we have the right to protect them. [...] we will continue our national, sovereign policy. Our task is to strengthen our country's sovereignty, independence and our main dream - to unite our country and join the European Union with dignity”, Garibashvili noted.

He added that joining the EU would not be an easy process, but the Government would continue to do its best.

 I want to say once again that we have achieved the maximum over the past decade. It seemed unimaginable. The Association Agreement, visa-free travel, free trade, the perspective, the status, and after that there is just membership left. No one could have imagined that we would receive the European perspective. There was a lot of scepticism in European cities and capitals about Georgia’s deserving this assessment. We heard many sceptical statements, but we received it. Consequently, it requires maintaining and protecting." 

The Head of the Government highlighted the accomplishments [his Government’s] in the last ten years, including signing the Association Agreement with the European Union in 2014, as well as establishing a visa-free regime and obtaining the European perspective.