Ruling party official: EU candidate status essential for Georgia, its future
Kaladze noted the Georgian Government “was doing everything” to fulfil the EU priorities, adding “the rest depends on the bloc” to make a political decision. Photo via Kakha Kaladze/Facebook
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Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party and Tbilisi Mayor, on Saturday said receiving the European Union membership candidate status was essential not only for its Government but for Georgia and the country’s future.
Kaladze noted the Georgian Government “was doing everything” to fulfil the EU priorities, adding “the rest depends on the bloc” to make a political decision, the local media said.
Not granting the candidate status last year “caused great disappointment” in Georgian people, he stressed, noting it was “very insulting”, as Moldova, “significantly” behind Georgia in all aspects, had been granted the status.
Kaladze emphasised he would not make any comparison with Ukraine in this respect, wishing Ukrainian people peace and territorial integrity, “my heart hurts a lot about what is happening in Ukraine, I sympathise with the Ukrainian people”, he added.
The Government is making every effort [in fulfilling EU recommendations], but the opposition has not taken a single step”, the Georgian Dream official said, criticising domestic opposition for “opposing” peace and development of the country, instead of participating in the process of obtaining the EU candidate status.
Nacho Sánchez Amor, a Member of the European Parliament, on Thursday said the decision of the European Commission not to grant Georgia the European Union membership candidate status last year, had been a “big political mistake”, which strengthened polarisation instead of depolarisation in the country.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday expressed her expectation that the European Union would take a “decisive step” this year based on ”fair” assessments and grant its membership candidate status to Georgia, encouraging the country to “move forward” on its European path together with other candidate countries.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday told Gert Jan Koopman, the Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, that Tbilisi expected “proper assessments” of its “efforts and progress” by obtaining the bloc’s membership candidate status by the end of this year.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Wednesday said his personal opinion was that Georgia would receive the EU membership candidate status later this year.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday said Georgia would fulfil all 12 priorities set by the European Union for granting the country its membership candidate status, so that there would be “no reason left” for not granting Georgia the status in December.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said polarisation was a “problematic” issue of the 12 priorities, outlined by the European Union in June for granting its membership candidate status to the country, as it could not be resolved by the Government’s reforms, it required “reduction of radicalism” in domestic opposition.
If the European Union “unfairly rejects” Georgia’s application for receiving the bloc’s membership candidate status for the second year running, the decision will lead to “disappointment and scepticism” about the bloc in the domestic public, Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Monday.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the party’s scheduled “important” meeting with domestic non-governmental organisations later in the day would discuss “all topics” related to the country’s European Union integration.
Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday claimed the country would obtain the European Union membership candidate status in December with “100 percent guarantee” and “despite attempts of the radical wing” of the domestic opposition.
Thea Tsulukiani, the Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, on Friday said the anticipated European Union membership candidate status for Georgia this month would “once again solidify” the status of the Georgian Dream Government as the “sole administration” to achieve “genuine progress” for integration into the bloc.