Ruling party head vows to fulfil EU conditions regardless of opposition’s involvement

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the Government would implement the nine priorities set out by the European Commission for the European Union membership candidate status for the country irrespective of whether the domestic opposition decided to become involved in the process. 

In his remarks over the matter, Kobakhidze noted the country would move to the next stage of European integration regardless of the opposition’s stance.

We fulfilled the 12 priorities [set out in 2022 for the status], we worked alone and we are about to receive the candidate status. The work will continue like this, perhaps we will have to go to the next stage alone and open negotiations [on accession to EU]”, Kobakhidze said in reference to the refusal of the domestic opposition to become involved in the work last year. 

“Unfortunately, we do not have much hope for the opposition. Past experience does not give us a reason for optimism. [But] [r]egardless of whether the opposition becomes involved or not, we will still fulfil the nine priorities and move on to the next stage”, he concluded. 

Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, on Tuesday said European integration was a “monumental” task that required involvement of all stakeholders through the Georgian Government being “inclusive” and the domestic opposition parties working in a “constructive” manner.