EU Human Rights and Democracy report “another proof” Georgia “deserved” bloc’s candidacy - ruling party MP
Rati Ionatamishvili said the EU report was “another strong and solid argument in favour of the position that, in case of a merit-based and fair decision, Georgia deserved the candidate status last year”. Photo: Rati Ionatamishvili’s Facebook
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Rati Ionatamishvili, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the European Union’s latest Human Rights and Democracy in the World report had confirmed Tbilisi “deserved” the bloc’s membership candidate status last year.
In his comments on the 2022 report, which was published on Tuesday and said Georgia had a “solid” human rights framework and its legislations and policies were in line with international and European standards, the lawmaker claimed the assessments put the country ahead of Ukraine and Moldova - the other countries of the EU’s Associated Trio which, unlike Georgia, were granted the bloc’s candidate status last year - and the Balkan states.
This report is another strong and solid argument in favour of the position that, in case of a merit-based and fair decision, Georgia deserved the status last year and deserves it even more today", the MP said.
The report said Georgia had achieved progress in reforms of the electoral system in 2022 as well as in public administration, enhancement of gender equality, rights of children and persons with disabilities.
However, the bloc emphasised that “implementation should be strengthened in several areas”, including judicial reforms, anti-corruption and strengthening of the independence of state institutions. It also stressed the human rights situation in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions remained “concerning”.
The report also said the EU focused on strengthening the independence and accountability of the judiciary, reducing inequalities, contributing to combating discrimination and empowering the civil society to promote and defend civic rights.
Georgia officially applied for EU membership in March 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, along with the latter and Moldova. The European Council granted Ukraine and Moldova the bloc’s full candidacy with conditions in June 2022, while Georgia obtained only a European perspective with conditions. The decision was welcomed by the Georgian Government as “historic”, which, at the same time, decried it as “not being merit-based”.
The bloc is scheduled to decide on Georgia’s candidacy in December, after the European Commission unveils its assessments in October on the country’s implementation of a related reform agenda.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Wednesday said the ruling Georgian Dream party Government had made a “huge” effort to ensure the human rights protection system in the country was "as smooth as possible" .
The European Union on Tuesday published its annual 2022 report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World, in which it assessed that overall Georgia has a “solid” human rights framework, including legislations and policies in line with international and European standards.
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.