Georgia “deserves” EU candidacy status, ball in bloc’s court - Parliament Speaker
Shalva Papuashvili said Georgia had done its “utmost” for its rapprochement to the bloc over the years in efforts to obtain the status and open membership talks. Photo: Shalva Papuashvili’s Facebook
Tweet 
Share
Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Thursday said Tbilisi had done “everything” to obtain the European Union membership candidate status and the country “deserved” it.
Papuashvili said the ball was “in the EU court” on the decision on granting the status to his country by the end of this year, adding the outcome would “reveal” how the bloc saw “its own future in the South Caucasus region” and relations with Georgia.
He also claimed Georgia had done its “utmost” for its rapprochement to the bloc over the years in efforts to obtain the status and open membership talks.
While acknowledging the country was not ready for the bloc’s outright membership at this point, the official noted it enjoyed the “same level of development” as candidate states.
Georgia officially applied for the membership in March 2022, along with Ukraine and Moldova, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The European Council in June granted Ukraine and Moldova its full membership candidate status with conditions, while Georgia received a European perspective and a reform agenda to obtain the status later.
While calling the granting of the perspective “historic”, the Georgian Government also criticised the EU institutions’ decision as being “not based on merit”, and has urged the bodies to make a “fair decision” on the country’s status this year.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Tuesday urged the country’s Western partners to help Tbilisi overcome its “security predicament” and get its “well-deserved” membership in the European Union and NATO, instead of offering “undue criticism” on its alleged strengthening of ties with the Kremlin on the backdrop of the latter’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday claimed all 12 conditions outlined by the European Council last year for granting the European Union membership candidate status to Georgia would be fulfilled by the end of June.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has praised a “historic day” for Georgia with his signing of the country’s bid for European Union membership on Thursday, saying the move “continues the efforts of our ancestors, which was aimed at unification in a common European family.”
Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, on Thursday said the body had granted the European Union membership candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, and was ready to grant the same status to Georgia once the outstanding priorities outlined by the European Commission were addressed by the Georgian Government.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said his country “deserved” the European Union membership candidate status and noted the outcome was “the only right decision that the European partners need to make”.
European Council President Charles Michel on Thursday said he was “absolutely convinced” that the future of Georgia was as part of the European Union “family”.
The Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday said her Government was supporting the efforts of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to become members of the European Union.
David Matikashvili, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the country “deserves” the European Union membership candidate status both for its citizens’ “historic choice” of European integration and the progress in the process over the years.
Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday claimed Georgia did not need the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union last year for it to receive the membership candidate status because the country “deserved” to receive the full status in the decision.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Wednesday said a positive decision on a European Union membership candidate status for Georgia could be the “only fair ruling” on the subject.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said consultations regarding the fulfilment of the European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status later this year were ongoing.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Friday urged members of domestic opposition groups to refrain from making “false allegations over failed reforms” and hampering the country’s work to obtain the European Union membership candidate status later this year, an objective he called “vitally important”.