Ruling party head expects “fair” decision from EU on membership candidate status
In his remarks over the matter, Kobakhidze noted the “positive” statements and support for the country’s EU integration by the Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who visited Georgia on Monday, were “very important”. Photo: Georgian Dream Press Office
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Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said he hoped the European Union would make a "fair decision" on granting Georgia the membership candidate status by the end of the year.
In his remarks over the matter, Kobakhidze noted the “positive” statements and support for the country’s EU integration by the Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who visited Georgia on Monday, were “very important”.
In general, it is becoming an increasingly common subject to talk about the fact that the decision on the candidate status for Georgia was not correct", the party Chair said in reference to the European Council granting a European perspective, instead of the full membership candidate status, to Georgia in June 2022.
“It is clear to everyone that in any direction, Georgia is much ahead of other countries, and therefore Georgia definitely deserves the status of a candidate country for the European Union. We have high hopes that the European Union will make a fair decision this year”, he added.
Kobakhidze also vowed the Government would do “absolutely everything” to ensure the country would be granted the candidate status.
In its June decision, the European Council granted the membership candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, and said it would be ready to grant the same status to Georgia once the outstanding priorities outlined by the European Commission were addressed by the Georgian Government.
Deepening of the cooperation between Georgia and the European Union was discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, and Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia.
The European Parliament on Wednesday approved its annual report on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy that said the “future of the peoples of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia as well as the Western Balkans lies within the EU”.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said a “radical part” of the domestic opposition was “sabotaging” the implementation of European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the Georgian government was following “diligently” each recommendation of the European Union for granting the country the membership candidate status, and expressed his hope for a “positive” political decision from the bloc.
Khatuna Samnidze, an opposition MP and the Chair of the Republican Party, on Tuesday said the Georgian authorities were “doing everything” to prevent use of the country’s territory for circumvention of the sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Wednesday called for a “strategic decision by Europe” concerning the country’s European Union membership candidate status.
The European Union is the only way to develop Georgia and preserve its identity, Beka Davituliani, an MP of the ruling party said on Tuesday at the Parliament's plenary session.