FM highlights “active” work in EU capitals to secure support for EU candidate status

Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Tuesday said the Georgian Government was “actively” working in capitals of European Union member states to secure support of partners for the European Council decision on whether to grant the country the EU membership candidate status on December 15.

In an interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Darchiashvili said the positive recommendation issued by the European Commission last week was “one of the most important” steps on the country's European integration path.

“This is a big step forward, but the process is far from over. According to the recommendation, the European Council should make a decision on December 15, and Georgia's candidate status should be officially finalised”, he noted. 

We are very actively pursuing dynamic relations with the EU, and at the same time, we are actively working in the capitals of EU member states in order to ensure that we have strongly mobilised support of partners”, Darchiashvili said.

The top Georgian diplomat said he was confident the Council would make a “geopolitically justified and merit-based” decision that “will give the green light to our country in the format of candidate status”.

He also reviewed the European Commission's recommendation for free elections in Georgia by saying it was “in line” with the Georgian Government's “interest and efforts” to ensure that “each new election is better than the previous one”.

He told the channel the Government had implemented a number of legal changes to make the electoral system “even more smooth and transparent”.