Georgia “will be ready” to get EU candidate status this year - ruling party head
Irakli Kobakhidze said the Government expected a “fair decision” by the EU this year. Photo: Georgian Dream press office
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Iraikli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday claimed the country would be “ready” to obtain the European Union membership candidate status by the end of this year.
Kobakhidze said “only a few issues” related to the fulfilment of the 12 conditions outlined by the bloc last year for granting the country its candidacy remained to be resolved.
In his press comments, the official pledged to update the public over the implementation of the conditions in the coming days, noting the Government was expecting a “fair decision” by the bloc on the country’s status in December.
Pawel Herczynski, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, on Thursday recognised the country’s “obvious progress” in fulfilling the conditions that were partially met in the European Commission’s oral assessments at the end of June.
He stressed all priorities were “equally important”, but the EU “especially expected” progress on deoligarchisation, domestic judiciary and media freedom.
There are about four weeks left before the release of the expansion report, and three months before a final decision is made [over Georgia's candidacy]. What we expect from Georgia is to accelerate and achieve as much progress as possible”, the diplomat said.
The 68th session of Georgia’s Commission for European Integration, chaired by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, on Thursday adopted a deoligarchisation action plan, which the Government claimed was in “full compliance” with the bloc’s requirements and the opinion of the Venice Commission of the Council in Europe.
Authorities said the document involved a “systemic” approach to the issue, as recommended by Venice Commission, and covered seven different directions including anti-corruption and anti-monopoly efforts, media pluralism and the area of the judiciary.
The European Council has been scheduled to decide on Georgia’s stats in December, following the final report and the recommendations by the European Commission in October on Georgia’s implementation of the reform agenda.
Georgia’s European Union Integration Commission on Thursday adopted an action plan for deoligarchisation to address one of the conditions for the bloc granting the country its membership candidate status.
Helmut Scholz, a member of the European Parliament, on Wednesday highlighted “very big chances” of European Union integration for Georgia, noting the country was developing “in the right direction” and pointing to “mutual obligations” over the bloc’s potential enlargement.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said the “main part” of the conditions for Georgia to receive the European Union membership candidate status had been “implemented”, adding there were “a few recommendations that we are actively working on”.
The Georgian Government on Monday announced it would develop an action plan to address the task of deoligarchisation in the country “in accordance with the Venice Commission opinion and the requirements of the European Union”, ahead of the bloc’s decision whether to grant Georgia its membership candidate status later this year.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Thursday discussed his country’s agenda for accession into the European Union with Peter Burke, the Minister of State for European Affairs of Ireland as part of his visit to the country.
The Georgian capital city of Tbilisi on Thursday hosted the Conference on Georgia’s Road to the European Union, organised by the Parliament of Georgia and the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum’s Georgian National Platform.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Saturday said the European Union had to show its “credibility and reliability” in supporting Georgian people’s European aspirations.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday highlighted the strategic partnership signed with Hungary last year and the latter country’s “firm and unconditional” support for Georgia’s European integration in a Tbilisi meeting with his Hungarian counterpart László Kövér.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said the Government meeting during the day would approve the deoligarchisation action plan aimed to meet one of the conditions outlined by the European Commission last year for granting Georgia the European Union candidate status.