EU’s decision on Georgia’s candidacy will “reveal attitude to country’s struggle” - Parliament Speaker
Shalva Papuashvili said the status would also be a “message to Russia”. Photo: Shalva Papuashvili’s Facebook
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Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Thursday said the European Union “should not repeat its mistake” of failing to grant Georgia its membership candidate status in 2022 and make a positive decision on the status in December, a move he claimed would reveal the bloc’s “attitude to the long struggle of the Georgian people” for the country to regain its place in the “European family”.
Attending the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Dublin, the official also stressed the bloc’s positive decision on the status would be a “message to Russia”, and urged the EU to consider the aspects with “high responsibility” before making its decision.
By its very nature, the status is a small step for the EU, but it is a big step for us. Therefore, it is important for EU member states to fully understand this responsibility", Papuashvili said.
Highlighting the efforts - including “physical struggle” - of the country’s citizens for European integration, the official stressed he would use the Council of Europe’s high-level event to explain to EU officials that “the mistake made last year by the bloc should not be repeated”.
Papuashvili noted during the Conference he would brief his colleagues from the EU about his Government's efforts to meet the candidacy conditions, and would also give a speech on Ukraine and the “problem of disinformation”.
The Conference is bringing together speakers and presidents of parliament from the 46 member states of the CoE and many partner, observer and neighbouring countries, as well as the heads of several interparliamentary assemblies between Thursday and Friday.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Friday congratulated the country’s Government on a “positive report” on Georgia’s alignment with the European Union, released by the European Commission on Thursday.
The European Council on Monday published Conclusions on European Union priorities for cooperation with the Council of Europe 2023-2024, with the document noting the future of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine and their citizens "lies within the EU”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said his country had demonstrated “great and unexpected progress for many” over the past 30 years despite “severe” security challenges, in comments on an anniversary of the 1993 fall of Sokhumi, the capital of the Russian-occupied north-western region of Abkhazia, during the war in the region.
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.
Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday said “those in Europe who support postponement of granting the [EU] membership candidate status to Georgia for another year” were “acting against not only Georgia but Europe as well”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday reviewed the existing relations and cooperation with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić and Pia Kauma, the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, in meetings on the sidelines of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Dublin.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday reviewed cooperation and the country’s European integration in meetings with his Finnish, Irish and Italian counterparts on the sidelines of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Dublin.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday expressed his “optimism” about the country being granted the European Union membership candidate status later this year.
Sheraz Gasri, the French Ambassador to Georgia, and Peter Fischer, the German Ambassador to the country, on Friday said the European Union would continue to stand by Georgia as the country “progresses towards the candidate status and the EU membership”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday in his address at the reception held on the occasion of the German Unity Day said he was confident the European Union would recognise Georgia’s advancements and geopolitical importance and would make “another historic decision” by granting the country its candidate membership status.