Ruling party head invites domestic opposition to working groups on EU priorities

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the ruling team was “open to any work process” with the domestic opposition on fulfilling priorities set out by the European Commission in its recommendation for the country to be granted the European Union membership candidate status.

Kobakhidze said “if there is a willingness on the part of the opposition to get involved in the work process, of course, the door will be open for them”.

Of course, we can create working groups. One of the recommendations of the European Commission is related to the fact that there should be formats where all parties will be represented”, he noted.

“We are open to any work process related to the settlement of these nine [priorities] [...] [T]he European Union has asked us to involve all parties as much as possible”, the ruling party head added.

Earlier today Paata Manjgaladze, an MP for the opposition Strategy Aghmashenebeli party, said he did “not see the need” for the working groups, and claimed the Georgian Dream party had “created an illusion” that it was carrying out reforms necessary for obtaining the status.