President launches signature campaign Our Voice to Europe urging European leaders to grant Georgia candidacy

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Wednesday launched a signature campaign titled Our Voice to Europe, calling on European leaders to grant Georgia the European Union membership candidate status in December, after earlier today the European Commission recommended the European Council to grant the country the status.

Zourabichvili hosted the citizens of Georgia and diplomatic corps accredited in the country at Orbeliani Palace residence following the Commission’s decision, where the President once again congratulated the Georgian people, noting “this is everyone’s victory, this is our answer to Russia and occupation”.

• President Zourabichvili welcomes European Commission’s “positive” recommendation for granting Georgia EU candidate status

The President was the first who signed the petition, addressing European leaders with the desire “to bring to you our voice, the united voice of our people, and to let you see the depth of our united motivation” to join the European family.

Zourabichvili said signing the petition could unite everyone “irrespective of diverse political affiliations and views”.

The Georgian President said she had extended her congratulations to and received them from Ukrainian and Moldovan counterparts, Volodymyr Zelensky and Maia Sandu on the Commission’s recommendation to open negotiations with the countries on candidacy.

• Future of Georgia is in EU, we are one family - bloc’s Ambassador says as Commission recommends candidacy

The citizens of Georgia were also addressed by the EU Ambassador to the country, Paweł Herczyński, who said today’s “positive” recommendation of the Commission showed that the bloc “recognises Georgia as an important partner in the region”.

Robin Dunnigan, the newly appointed United States Ambassador to Georgia, also congratulated the country on the decision and said her country, together with the EU, the Georgian President and the Government, as well as the people, would continue to work towards EU membership.