Georgian FM welcomes EU report as “clear confirmation” country deserves candidate status
Darchiashvili noted the document “clearly confirmed” the country “deserved” to be granted the membership candidate status, and “by all parameters” maintained its leadership ahead of other Eastern Partnership states in the implementation of reforms. Photo: MFA of Georgia
Tweet 
Share
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.
Darchiashvili noted the document “clearly confirmed” the country “deserved” to be granted the membership candidate status, and “by all parameters” maintained its leadership ahead of other Eastern Partnership states in the implementation of reforms.
“Under the standard EU procedure, the assessment report is first published and then a political decision is made on granting the status. In our case, this has happened the other way around”, he pointed out.
The EU Commission has published a positive report on ????????'s alignment with the EU acquis. Our country maintains a leading position in implementing reforms in the EU accession process. I do hope, the document creates a solid ground for granting ???????? the EU membership candidate status.
— Ilia Darchiashvili (@iliadarch) February 3, 2023
“In particular, due to the new geopolitical circumstances, the European Commission had to make a political decision in a force majeure situation, where, unfortunately, the progress of Georgia in terms of sectoral integration was not taken into account”, Darchiashvili said in reference to the Commission’s decision last year, when it granted membership candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova but only a European perspective to Georgia.
This [new] report is once again a clear confirmation that Georgia deserves to be granted the status, and by all parameters maintains its leadership in terms of the implementation of reforms adopted within the framework of European integration”, the top Georgian diplomat continued.
Darchiashvili also stressed that the 12-point priorities defined by the European Council for Georgia were being successfully implemented, with most of them “fully fulfilled”.
We hope that when making a political decision at the end of this year, the European Union will take into account both the results of the implementation of 12 priorities and the progress in the report, which is the most important element on the path to full membership in the European Union”, he said.
“The results in the mentioned report are the outcome of the correct, consistent reforms carried out by the Georgian Government and its European political course, which is one of the main directions of our foreign policy”, Darchiashvili concluded.
Earlier today, Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, congratulated the country’s Government on the “very positive” report from the European Commission.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday responded to the newly published European Commission report on the country’s alignment with the European Union by stressing the document had “once again demonstrated” his country deserved the membership candidate status as a “top reformer”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Saturday said the country entered the “final phase” of the accession process to the European Union and the final decision would “inevitably” mean Georgia’s full membership of the Union.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the European Commission's latest report on Georgia showed the country should have received the European Union membership candidate status last year.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, on Tuesday said the legislative body would focus on facilitating implementation of the European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status in its spring sessions.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said every day that went without Georgia having the European Union membership candidate status was an “injustice” towards the country, in his summary of the work of the legislative body throughout the past year.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Thursday said he appreciated Croatia's support for the country's European integration, in a remark following a meeting with his visiting counterpart Gordan Grlić Radman.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday highlighted Georgia’s progress on its European integration path and the latest “positive report” by the European Commission on the country’s alignment with EU laws at the meeting with Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Government Administration said.