Ruling party head: Georgia’s European course “not subject to revision”
In an interview with the Georgian Public Broadcasting, Kobakhidze noted that 85 percent of the Georgian citizens supported the country’s European integration process. Photo: Georgian Dream Press Office
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Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday highlighted the status of Georgia’s European course being enshrined in the constitution, noting it was “not subject to any revision”.
In an interview with the Georgian Public Broadcasting, Kobakhidze noted that 85 percent of the Georgian citizens supported the country’s European integration process.
[W]e have already taken many steps to implement the 12 recommendations [for European Union membership candidate status] and the Association Agreement [signed with the EU in 2014]. [...] We elected a [new] Public Defender [a condition outlined in the EU priorities for Georgia]. By the way, a part of the opposition refused to fulfil this point, which shows their spirit and goals”, Kobakhidze told the interview.
The GD official claimed “all prerequisites” were in place for the EU membership candidate status to be granted to Georgia in December.
Therefore, granting us the status has no alternative - the rest is a matter of a political decision”, he told the channel.
Responding to criticism from the domestic opposition, civil sector and foreign representations in the country against the now-withdrawn bill on transparency of foreign influence, Kobakhidze also highlighted his participation in the drafting of the article in the constitution that defined the Euro-Atlantic integration of the country, adding “neither I nor my colleagues need to be reminded of this article”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday said Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili had received the recommendations from the Council of Europe's Venice Commission on the deoligarchisation bill and judicial reform, which did not include any “substantial changes” to the draft law.
The ruling Georgian Dream party and its Government have never deviated from European choice and values, Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the party said on Thursday, stressing the Government always considered the will of the Georgian people and would continue to do so in the future.
The importance of the existing strategic partnership between Georgia and the United States and strengthening their cooperation in “various fields” were discussed on Thursday in a meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Louis Bono, the US Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations.
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.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday hosted visiting representatives of the European Union External Action Service and the European Commission at an official dinner in Tbilisi.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, on Tuesday said the implementation of the bloc’s conditions for granting Georgia the membership candidate status was the only way for the country to move forward on its European path.
Givi Mikanadze, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the Georgian Parliament was on course to complete implementing the priorities set out by the European Commission last year for granting the country a European Union membership candidate status by the end of its spring session.