Positive decision “only fair ruling” on Georgia’s EU candidacy - Parliament Speaker

Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Wednesday said a positive decision on a European Union membership candidate status for Georgia could be the “only fair ruling” on the subject.

In his press comments, the official pointed to the bloc’s “unfair and not merit-based decision” last June to only grant the country a European perspective, while Ukraine and Moldova - two other members of the EU’s Associated Trio - obtained the full candidacy with conditions.

Papuashvii claimed his country was a “leader” of the trio in related criteria and “deserved” the status. 

The only fair decision can be that Georgia should be at the same level as Ukraine and Moldova. If today they have the candidate status, Georgia should also have it. If [membership] negotiations are opened with them, they should be opened with Georgia as well”, he said, adding “the Georgian people should not have to plead for the status”. 

He also noted Tbilisi was communicating with EU structures on the fulfilment of the conditions outlined by the bloc last year for granting it the status, and added the Government hoped for “fair assessments” by the European Commission in October and then a “fair decision” by the European Council on the status in December. 

Georgia officially applied for EU membership on March 3, 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, after accelerating the initial plan to submit the membership application by 2024.