Ruling party head: “objective decision” will “definitely” grant EU candidate status to Georgia this year
In his remarks over the report, Kobakhidze noted it was “clear” from the conclusions that the country deserved the candidate status by “all parameters”. Photo: Georgian Dream Press Office
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Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said the European Commission’s new report on Georgia had revealed that under an “objective decision” the country should “definitely” receive a European Union membership candidate status this year.
Kobakhidze’s remarks followed the analytical report of the EU body, released on Thursday, that assessed the capacity of Georgia to assume the obligations of the bloc’s membership.
It provided a detailed analysis on where the country stood with regard to its alignment with the EU acquis, the EU's body of common rights and obligations.
In his remarks over the report, Kobakhidze noted it was “clear” from the conclusions that the country deserved the candidate status by “all parameters”.
“First of all, we would like to thank the European Commission for the very positive assessment of our country”, the party Chair said.
With this assessment document, the European Commission has itself confirmed what we have been asserting since June of last year: the report clearly shows that Georgia deserved the candidate status by all parameters”, he added, in reference to the decision of the European Commission to grant the country a European perspective, instead of the full-fledged candidate status, in 2022.
“Georgia is significantly ahead of Moldova by 12 points and ahead of Ukraine in almost all key parameters”, the GD official also said.
Kobakhidze stressed the document revealed that, in a decision based on “objective criteria”, Georgia should “definitely” receive the candidate status this year.
We would like to remind you that last year the radical [domestic] opposition, NGOs and media outlets affiliated with them used the decision of the European structures [on not granting the country the candidate status] to try to create disturbance and deepen polarisation in the country [...] the richest NGOs even demanded the resignation of the Government”, he continued.
Earlier today, Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, congratulated the country’s Government on the “very positive” report from the European Commission.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Friday congratulated the country’s Government on a “positive report” on Georgia’s alignment with the European Union, released by the European Commission on Thursday.
A new survey released on Thursday by the National Democratic Institute and CRRC Georgia has shown 81 percent of Georgian citizens support the country’s aspirations of joining the European Union, with 73 percent backing NATO integration.
The Georgian Government has ensured “all possible” progress for the country’s European integration over the past decade, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Monday at his joint briefing with visiting Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Head of the European Integration Committee in the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday said it was “regrettable” to see domestic opposition and imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili “putting forth such great efforts” against the country’s European integration and trying to involve Georgia’s international partners in this process.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Friday said he hoped the country’s European partners would consider the results of its implementation of the European Union conditions for granting it the membership candidate status, after the release of a European Commission report that noted its progress in the work.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said Georgia was ahead of both Ukraine and Moldova in “fundamental questions” related to their alignment with the European Union, in comments on the European Commission's new report on the three countries aspiring for EU membership.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Friday said the European Commission’s “positive” assessment of the country’s alignment with the European Union framework was “very important”, following the publication of the report that evaluated the progress of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova in their work for membership in the bloc.