Parliament Vice Speaker warns of “consequences” of not granting Georgia EU candidate status
In his remarks over the matter, Talakvadze claimed a part of the domestic opposition was anticipating the Government to fail in receiving the status. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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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”.
In his remarks over the matter, Talakvadze claimed a part of the domestic opposition was anticipating the Government to fail in receiving the status.
They went there [Europe] and [attempted to convince] people [European partners] not to give [the country] the candidate status, because the [Parliamentary] elections are coming [in 2024] and the Government will win the elections cleanly [otherwise]. Can you imagine this? In order to gain two to three more mandates in the Parliament, they will change the European future”, Talakvadze said.
The Parliament official stressed Georgia “deserved” the candidate status a year ago, when the European Commission ruled against granting it the status.
The European Commission published its assessment this summer and said that Georgia is the best among the Associated Trio countries. We knew this a year ago. It is important for the public to know the correct information and not to be deceived. The truth is that a year ago, Georgia deserved the status, instead of which it received the European perspective - thanks. Ukraine and Moldova received the candidate status, while we were one of the best in the Trio”, he continued.
Talakvadze alleged the “forces hostile both to Georgia and the European Union” were “immediately” activated following the 2022 decision on the status, and further pointed out the development “harms both Georgia and the European Union”.
He also stressed not granting Georgia the status in 2023 would “lead to a situation where common enemies of us and the European Union” would take the decision as a “message that friends have abandoned Georgia, and there will be a redoubled attack on our democracy and security”.
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”.
Georgia's progress on the European Union accession path and implementation of the bloc’s conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between the Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Tuesday said his Government had achieved “specific and tangible” results in fulfilling the priorities set by the European Commission for granting the country the European Union membership candidate status.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and Kadri Simson, the European Commissioner for Energy, on Tuesday discussed Georgia’s progress on the implementation of the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union last year for granting the country its membership candidate status.
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”.