Italy pledges support for Georgia in implementing EU candidacy conditions - Parliament Committee Chair

Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday said the Italian Government had pledged support for her country’s authorities in their implementation of the conditions outlined by the European Union last year for granting its membership candidate status to Georgia. 

After meetings at the Italian foreign office, the lawmaker said the discussions involved Georgia’s relations with the bloc and Tbilisi’s expectations for the integration process. 

Botchishvili noted the Italian officials also shared their views about the bloc’s future and its enlargement. 

The Italian officials voiced supportive positions on ensuring aid to Georgia to meet the bloc’s candidacy conditions”, Botchorishvili said, stressing the importance of the upcoming EU decision being based on the “needs of both the bloc and the [South Caucasus] region”. 

The EU is expected to decide on Georgia’s membership candidate status by the end of this year, following the country’s formal application for membership in March 2022.