PM says European leaders vow support for Georgia’s candidate 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.

In his comments to the media, Garibashvili said at “important” bilateral meetings with European leaders, he had briefed them on Georgia’s progress in fulfilling the EU priorities outlined for the candidate status.

I also told them that if the country does not receive the status, it will be absolutely incomprehensible, it will be an insult to our Georgian people, it will be undeserved, [...] another attempt to oppress the country or treat them unfairly”, the PM stressed.

The Head of the Government emphasised that the decision on Georgia’s candidacy would be “a direct message” to Russia and other countries “trying to get closer to the EU”.

The PM stressed that Georgia was ahead of European Union membership candidate countries, including Moldova, Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and even took the lead over some EU member states “in many directions”.

Garibashvili also highlighted that the European countries had shown support to Georgia and stated that “the mistake” of not granting the country candidate status last year could not be repeated.