Georgia has “full support” from France on its European path - Parliament Speaker

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said at all meetings during his visit to France, Georgia had “full support” from the country on the European path, noting it had been emphasised that Georgia deserved the European Union membership candidate status.

Papuashvili stressed the French side “completely understood” the disappointment of the Georgian people when the country had not been granted the candidate status last year, as Georgia “deserved” it, the local media said.

This attitude “once again confirmed” that last year’s decision was “unfair”, as the “best country [Georgia] in the Associated Trio [countries] was oppressed” and the two countries Ukraine and Moldova, being behind Georgia, were given the status, he added.  

The Parliament official also noted that at the meetings he had discussed the work carried out by the Georgian Government for the fulfilment of the EU conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status later this year.

Now it is the time for the EU and especially its most powerful countries to reconsider their policy regarding the Caucasus region, to take the political decision [granting Georgia the status], that is needed now, by the end of the year”, Papuashvili stressed, adding “for our part, we are making every effort [in this regard], [but] now the most important is the decisions to be made in the capitals of the EU countries”.