EU Ambassador hopes Georgia will move “one step further” on EU path
In his remarks, Herczynski noted the work on meeting the bloc’s conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status later this year was “in progress”. Photo: EU Delegation to Georgia
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Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Tuesday expressed his hope Georgia would move “one step further” on its path towards the European Union accession.
In his remarks, Herczynski noted the work on meeting the bloc’s conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status later this year was “in progress”.
“With regard to the 12 priorities, the work clearly is in progress. Several weeks ago, the European Commission presented the so-called oral update”, he noted.
According to the European Commission, out of the 12 recommendations, three recommendations have been fully implemented. In two recommendations, we still have a need to accelerate. This is freedom of media and deoligarchisation. On the remaining seven recommendations, there has been some progress, but we are waiting for further progress”, Herczynski said.
The EU diplomat also emphasised the picture was “mixed” and noted there was “still time” to meet the conditions.
The European Commission will issue the enlargement report in October. And of course, we are all looking forward to the decision to be taken by 27 EU member states at the highest political level, at the level of EU heads of state and government, about next steps when it comes to EU-Georgia relationship”, he explained.
The Ambassador also said the decision on the status was “in the hands of 27 EU member states”.
Cooperation between Georgia and Croatia and the former’s progress on its European Union integration path was discussed on Monday in a meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenković.
Gert Jan Koopman, the head of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, on Wednesday said the Commission welcomed the Georgian Government’s “keen interest” in making “further progress” on the bloc’s conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status later this year.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, on Wednesday said the Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili had assured him the country’s progress in its implementation of the priorities outlined by the bloc for granting it the membership candidate status was “well on track”.
The process of Georgia's accession to the European Union, the current agenda of the cooperation between the sides and future steps were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and Oliver Varhelyi, the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the Georgian Government was doing “everything” for the country to receive the European Union membership candidate status later this year in December.
Peter Fischer, the German Ambassador to Georgia, on Friday said members of the European Union “must” make it “stronger”, adding Georgia “must be part of it”.