PM highlights “main message” of “deserved” EU candidacy at Granada Summit
In his remarks at the third edition of the Summit, Garibashvili noted the recognition as a country with a European perspective was the “main” priority. Photo: Government Administration
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said his Government’s “main message” at the European Political Community Summit in Granada would be that the country “deserved” to receive the European Union membership candidate status.
In his remarks at the third edition of the Summit, Garibashvili noted the recognition as a country with a European perspective was the “main” priority.
Our main message will be that Georgia deserves candidate status. [...] Now it is necessary to take a further step on the part of the European counterparts for the country to receive a deserved status. This is my main message. Of course, the topic of discussion will be the geopolitical situation, the most difficult situation in the region, the war in Ukraine and, therefore, the challenges for us”, Garibashvili said.
The Government head stressed there was “no shortcut” as the European integration was a “long-term” path that “every country must take to become a member state of the European Union”.
At this stage, from the point of view of our country, I would like to tell you that we should focus on the next stage, which is of symbolic importance, although it is quite important - this is the candidate status. We have heard many statements. This, on the one hand, gives us reason for optimism and hope, and on the other hand, we must know that there are no shortcuts”, he told the Georgian media.
The PM also expressed his belief that “common sense, rationality, foresight and strategic thinking” would prevail in the European Union and Europe would not make the “same mistake they made last year when they treated Georgia unfairly” in not granting the country the status.
I think that we explained everything to our European counterparts, they shared [our] arguments. My main argument is that the country has achieved very tangible results, in all directions. We are ahead of Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia-Herzegovina, which received candidate status last year, and we did not, unfortunately”, he continued.
He also said his Government would “not tolerate injustice and such an oppressive and abusive attitude”, adding it would have a “very principled conversation with all our European counterparts” to achieve the positive outcome on the status.
Ilia Giorgadze, Georgia’s Ambassador to Spain, on Thursday highlighted the participation of the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili in a roundtable format at the 3rd European Political Community Summit in Granada that would discuss the “most important” matters for European countries.
Cooperation between the Georgian Government and the Council of Europe, the situation in the Russian-occupied territories of the country and its European integration were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and Marija Pejčinović Burić, the Secretary General of the CoE.
Anna Lührmann, the German Minister of State for Europe, on Tuesday said she was looking forward to the day when “Georgia becomes a member of the European Union”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday left for the southern Spanish city of Granada to participate in the 3rd European Political Community Summit.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday claimed his Government had ensured protection of interests of citizens and domestic security while acting “in full accordance” with international partners to back Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russia.
Gitanas Nausėda, the Lithuanian President, on Thursday said his Government was “strongly motivated” to “politically support” Georgia obtaining the European Union membership candidate status later this year.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday attended the opening event of the plenary session of the third edition of the European Political Community Summit in Granada, the Government Administration said.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said that at the meeting with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the latter had “positively evaluated” Georgia’s progress in implementing the 12 priorities outlined by the European Union for granting its candidate membership status.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said he had received confirmation from all European leaders that they would support the decision to grant Georgia the European Union membership candidate status.
Georgia's progress in implementing the European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status was discussed on Thursday in a meeting between the Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit in Granada.