Georgia “deserves” EU candidacy for choice, progress - ruling party MP

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. 

In his remarks with the Georgian Public Broadcaster, the lawmaker stressed the European Commission’s “positive report” on Georgia's alignment with the European Union framework earlier in February had “clearly demonstrated this progress”.

He also noted the Georgian Government had used “all platforms and resources” to ensure the country’s return to its “European family” and receive the “well-deserved” status, noting the “ball is now in our European colleagues’ court”.  

Calling the EU decision last year not to grant Georgia the status along with Ukraine and Moldova “unfair”, the MP expressed hopes the bloc would “correct the mistake” and the country obtained the status by the end of this year. 

Georgia applied for EU membership in March 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and was granted a European perspective by the European Council in June, along with priorities to address for gaining the bloc’s candidate status.