Georgia to be “most ready” to join European Union by 2030 - ruling party head

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said Georgia would be leading the countries aspiring to join the European Union in terms of its readiness by 2030.

Kobakhidze’s comment followed a statement by Charles Michel, the European Council President, who on Monday said the EU “must be ready” for enlargement by 2030.

The Georgian official said Michel’s mentioning of a “specific year” in the comment was “important”, and noted candidate countries who had been aspiring to join the bloc over the recent decades.

The ruling party head said Georgia had “made progress” in terms of fulfilling the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Council for granting the country the EU membership candidate status later this year.

He also claimed Georgia had “never been so close” to the EU and added it was the “Government’s responsibility to do more to advance qualitative rapprochement” with the bloc.

The ruling party head also claimed Georgia was a “fundamentally democratic” country with “free and fair elections, an independent media, a vibrant political scene and protection of human rights”.