Parliament Committee Chair - Georgian agenda “more active” among EU member states in 2023
The Committee Chair added the interest of EU member states had “increased” and their views were “much more in favour of Georgia” around the question of whether the state should be granted the candidate status. Photo: Maka Botchorishvili's Twitter
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Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said her participation at the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for European Union Affairs in Madrid had demonstrated the issue of Georgia was on the agenda of EU member states “even more actively” than last year.
Botchorishvili said she had observed a “growing” number of countries that were “vocal” in mentioning Georgia and claiming the 2022 decision by EU bodies against granting the country the bloc’s membership candidate status was “unjust and has to be changed”.
She also said meetings at the event had highlighted Georgia’s importance in “geopolitical context” and called it a “good result” for emphasising the role of the country’s EU integration for the bloc’s enlargement policy and security.
The Committee Chair added the interest of EU member states had “increased” and their views were “much more in favour of Georgia” around the question of whether the state should be granted the candidate status.
Othmar Karas, the first Vice-President of the European Parliament, on Monday said he hoped there would be a “positive” decision on granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status later this year.
She stressed EU bodies granting candidate status to Georgia later this year and opening negotiations with candidate countries, together giving them a “clear roadmap” to EU membership, was the “only way” to go, and added “it requires strong support, and we count on you with this regard”.
Domagoj Hajduković, the Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Croatian Parliament, on Monday said he hoped the “injustice” of European Union bodies denying Georgia the bloc’s membership candidate status in 2022 would be “corrected” with a decision on the matter later this year.
Glenn Bedingfield, an MP in the Maltese Parliament, on Monday said Georgia should receive the European Union membership candidate status in December.
Vasile Dîncu, the Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Romanian Senate, on Monday said his country’s Government “strongly” supported not only the integration of Georgia into the European Union, but also its accession to NATO.
Iraikli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the Georgian Government was “doing its best” to make sure “not even the slightest excuse” was left for the country to be refused the European Union membership candidate status for the second year running.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday highlighted his Government's “maximum effort” in its work to meet the priorities outlined by the European Union last year for granting Tbilisi its membership candidate status, in a meeting with Charles Michel, the President of the European Council.
Rati Ionatamishvili, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday highlighted the ruling party’s “political decision” to proceed with the approval of the action plan on the deoligarchisation bill.
David Songulashvili, the Chair of the Committee of Sectoral Economy and Economic Policy at the Georgian Parliament, on Monday commented on the visit of the Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili to Romania and stressed the support of the “strategic partner” state was “crucial” on the path of Georgia’s European integration.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said the country was moving closer to the European Union by implementing reforms for integration “despite many challenges”.
Andrius Kalindra, the Lithuanian Ambassador to Georgia, on Monday said he hoped European Union member states would reach a consensus on granting the country the membership candidate status this month.