European Commission recommends granting Georgia EU membership candidate status

David Songulashvili, the Chair of the Committee of Sectoral Economy and Economic Policy of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday told the Francophonie Parliamentary Assembly of Europe in Athens the Georgian Government’s expectations were “high” ahead of the European Commission’s report on whether to recommend the European Union membership candidate status for the country.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said he anticipated the country would receive a “deserved response” from the European Commission on the European Union membership candidate status for Georgia, ahead of the body’s recommendation for the European Council, expected today.

Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili will discuss Georgia’s European integration in a meeting with Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, as part of his visit to Brussels tomorrow.

Archil Talakvadze, the Georgian Parliament Vice Speaker, on Monday said the country would receive the European Union membership candidate status and move to a “new stage” of integration with the accession phase.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday highlighted the European Commission’s recommendation for the European Council to grant the country the European Union membership candidate status.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Wednesday said in a social media message she welcomed the “positive” recommendation of the European Commission to grant Georgia the European Union membership candidate status.   

Josep Borrell, the European Union High Representative and the Vice President of the European Commission, on Wednesday said the bloc’s door was “open” for Georgia after the European Commission recommended the European Council to grant Georgia its membership candidate status next month.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said in a social media message the “historic recommendation” of the European Commission to grant Georgia the European Union membership candidate status had recognised the country’s future as a “full-fledged member of the European community of nations”.

Ilia Darchiashvili, the Georgian Foreign Minister, on Wednesday said in a social media post the European Commission’s positive recommendation on granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status was a “clear recognition of the very intensive work” done by the country’s Government for the outcome.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said he believed Georgia would receive the European Union membership candidate status in December following the positive recommendation of the European Commission, and hailed his Government's efforts to ensure “key changes” for the objective despite “coordinated attempts” by “domestic and foreign enemies”. 

Vedant Patel, the Deputy Spokesperson of the United States Department of State, on Wednesday welcomed the European Commission's recommendations for the enlargement of the European Union. 

Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's European Union Integration Committee, on Thursday said there would be “many stages” in the process of Georgia’s accession to the European Union, following the European Commission’s recommendation for the country to be granted the membership candidate status. 

The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday reacted to the European Commission’s recommendation for Georgia to be granted the European Union membership candidate status, and accession talks to be opened with Ukraine and Moldova, by stressing the trio “belong in the Euro-Atlantic family”. 

Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday said President Salome Zourabichvili’s “repeated violation” of the country’s Constitution through her unauthorised official visits abroad would be a “serious, negative signal” for Georgia’s European integration path. 

Georgian Ambassador to France, Gotcha Javakhishvili on Thursday said France’s position on Georgia’s European Union integration was “distinctly positive” over the last few months, noting the country positively evaluated the reforms carried out by the Georgian authorities.

Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Sunday said the European Commission’s positive recommendation to the European Council last week to grant Tbilisi the European Union’s membership candidate status in December was the bloc’s “message” to Russia that the former saw Georgia as its part and not as an “abandoned periphery”. 

Krišjānis Kariņš, the Latvian Prime Minister, and Tanja Fajon, the Slovenian Foreign Minister, on Monday lauded the European Commission’s positive recommendation last week for Georgia’s European Union membership candidate status in December.

Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Monday hailed the “positively developing” political and legislative ties between his country and Austria during an inaugural visit of Claudia Arpa, the Chair of the Federal Council of Austria. 

A public opinion poll published on Tuesday by the Tbilisi-based Georgian Opinion Research Business International has put the approval rating of the ruling Georgian Dream party at 55 percent. 

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the Georgian Government had acted in accordance with “own priorities” in its efforts for European integration, in reaction to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s critical comments on the European Union’s planned enlargement. 

“Successful reforms” implemented by the Georgian Government and the country’s progress on the European Union integration path were summarised on Tuesday in a meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Paweł Herczyński, the EU Ambassador to the country and ambassadors from EU member states.

A meeting of the Investors Council, chaired by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, on Wednesday discussed ongoing reforms for Georgia’s European integration and the body’s involvement, the Government Administration said.

Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili on Wednesday said the Georgian Government continued the process of “further harmonisation” with European Union regulations and added the European Commission’s recommendation for the country to be granted the EU membership candidate status was “another proof” of the progress achieved within the domestic public finance management reform.

The state secretaries for European Union affairs of Hungary and Ireland, János Bóka and Peter Burke, as well as Jovita Neliupšienė, the Lithuanian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Anders Adlercreutz, the Finnish Minister for European Affairs, on Wednesday expressed their support for EU enlargement policy in their comments on the sidelines of the meeting of the General Affairs Council in Brussels.

The cooperation between Georgia and the European Union was discussed on Wednesday by Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party and Paweł Herczyński, the EU Ambassador to the country.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday told Kadri Simson, the European Commissioner for Energy Affairs, his Government was anticipating the granting of the European Union membership candidate status to the country following the positive recommendation of the European Commission this month.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday discussed cooperation and his country’s European integration goals with a delegation of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe headed by the Commission's Secretary General Simona Granata-Menghini. 

The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe is once again ready to support Georgia “in every possible way” on the path towards the European Union, Michael Frendo, the Vice-President and the head of a visiting delegation of the Commission, said on Thursday at the press conference.

Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Friday highlighted the role of the Ministry in the Government’s implementation of the recommendations outlined by the European Commission in 2022 for the European Council to grant the country the European Union membership candidate status next month.

Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's European Union Integration Committee, on Saturday said she hoped the European Council would grant Georgia the EU membership candidate status in December and the country, together with other candidate countries, would embark on the path to joining the bloc.

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday claimed a part of the domestic “radical” opposition and local non-governmental organisations had made plans this year to “stage a revolution” in the country while supported by “certain members” of the European Parliament, but had failed to materialise it.

Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili on Tuesday said Georgia's reform agenda had “always been determined by European aspirations”, with the work to receive the European Union candidate status giving “another push” and becoming a “strong motivation” for the country to continue reforms.

Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Tuesday highlighted progress made by Georgia on its path of European integration at the Ministerial Meeting on green energy development in Budapest.

Georgia’s road to the European Union is one of the priority directions for the country, “if not the most important one”, Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, said on Wednesday at the Conference titled Georgia’s Road to the EU.

Davit Matikashvili, an MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday said he hoped for “solid support” from the Baltic countries on granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status in December.

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Parliament, on Tuesday said his party was joining the calls by Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, who earlier urged domestic opposition groups to join the Government's work for meeting conditions for the country’s European integration. 

Georgia’s European Union integration was discussed on Wednesday by Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, and Matthieu Combe, the Head of the Caucasus and Central Asia Department of French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, as well as Benoit Lerosey, the Head of the EU Foreign Relations Department of the Ministry.

Thea Tsulukiani, the Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, on Friday said the anticipated European Union membership candidate status for Georgia this month would “once again solidify” the status of the Georgian Dream Government as the “sole administration” to achieve “genuine progress” for integration into the bloc. 

Georgian citizens, politicians and representatives from various sectors gathered in Georgia’s capital city of Tbilisi for a march from the First Republic Square to Europe Square under the theme ‘Our Voice to Europe’.

Peter Fischer, the German Ambassador to Georgia, on Sunday said his country wanted Georgia to receive the European Union membership candidate status next week and to join the bloc.

Steps taken by Georgia for its European Union integration and reforms implemented both at legislative and institutional levels were discussed on Monday in a meeting between the country’s Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and Oliver Varhelyi, the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Policy.

Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said he was confident the country would be granted the European Union membership candidate status this week in a “historic decision” by the European Council. 

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday addressed Charles Michel, the European Council President, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish PM whose country chairs the Council of the EU, and leaders of the bloc’s member states to back his country’s EU candidacy in a “watershed moment” for its integration this week. 

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Wednesday expressed hope the European Council’s decision would be “positive” not only on granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status but on opening accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.

Charles Michel, the European Council President, on Thursday said the Council granted Georgia the European Union membership candidate status.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday congratulated Georgian people on the European Council’s decision to grant Georgia the European Union membership candidate status.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said the country had achieved one of the “greatest victories” in its modern history by obtaining the European Union membership candidate status this month “despite internal and external challenges”.

The Government of Georgia on Monday revealed an action plan designed to fulfil the conditions outlined by the European Commission in November, a prerequisite for initiating accession talks with the European Union.

Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday highlighted the common goal of a “bigger, stronger and better” Europe.

Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Friday said he hoped a “prompt initiation” of accession talks between the country and the bloc could be facilitated, stressing the pace of the transition was contingent upon Tbilisi’s fulfilment of the nine conditions set out by the European Commission in November.

Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Friday commended “very promising” initial statements by Irakli Kobakhidze, the candidate presented by the ruling Georgian Dream party for the position of the Prime Minister, as part of his commitment to advancing the country’s EU integration progress through implementation of the conditions for opening accession talks with the bloc.