EU Ambassador voices support for judiciary reform in Georgia
In his remarks, Herczynski noted the progress made by the country in seeking the EU membership candidate status would be assessed in the EU enlargement report by the 27 member states, and pointed out “there is still time to go ahead”. Photo: EU Delegation to Georgia
Tweet 
Share
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Monday said the bloc supported reforms in Georgia, including in the judiciary system of the country.
In his remarks, Herczynski noted the progress made by the country in seeking the EU membership candidate status would be assessed in the EU enlargement report by the 27 member states, and pointed out “there is still time to go ahead”.
The diplomat stressed “professionalism, complete independence of judges, a very strong and sound judicial system” were among priorities set by the bloc for granting the country the status.
We are working with the Georgian [Government], with the Ministry of Justice, to introduce reforms. The work on judicial reform is also underway in the Parliament. The EU always supports these reforms”, Herczynski said.
“So there is still time to go ahead and to make sure that those reforms, that are very difficult and challenging, are well advanced”, he concluded.
The comments come after controversy in the country surrounding the judiciary, after the United States Department of State sanctioned four former and current Georgian judges under the visa restrictions authority earlier this month for alleged corruption.
The announcement of the decision alleged Irakli Shengelia, Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze and Valerian Tsertsvadze had “abused their positions as court chairmen and members of Georgia’s High Council of Justice, undermining the rule of law and the public’s faith in Georgia’s judicial system”.
The decision was met by criticism from Georgian Government officials, while the domestic opposition has claimed it highlights the alleged corruption in the domestic judiciary, and called for the formation of a Parliamentary inquiry into the state of the domestic courts.
Răzvan Rotundu, the Romanian Ambassador to Georgia, on Tuesday said the country had made progress in its efforts to receive the European Union membership candidate status, while adding issues remained to be resolved.
The European Union “strongly supports” the Black Sea submarine cable project, a new transmission route to deliver green energy from Azerbaijan to Europe, and hopes the South Caucasus will become a “very important” source of energy for Europe, Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, said on Thursday.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Tuesday said he hoped Georgia would become a member of the bloc, noting the outcome would “bring enormous benefits to the country”.
Obtaining the European Union membership candidate status for Georgia is a goal that has “no alternative” for the country, President Salome Zourabichvili said on Monday in a press briefing in Vilnius with her Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nausėda.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday departed for Brussels for meetings with NATO and European Union officials, with a Government delegation accompanying the PM.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday expressed his hope the European Union would make a “fair decision” regarding Georgia’s membership candidate status and put the country in the same position as Ukraine and Moldova.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Saturday said “European leaders have decided to expand Europe” and emphasised that Georgia was “one of the potential” candidate countries.
The European Union Ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski’s recent visit to Georgia’s autonomous Adjara region, with a wide-ranging agenda, reaffirmed “the strong and growing” partnership between the bloc and the country, the EU in Georgia said on Saturday.