Parliament Speaker: European Commission report shows Georgia deserved EU membership status in 2022

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.

Papuashvili said he had reviewed the process of the implementation of the bloc’s conditions for granting Georgia the candidate status at today's meeting with non-governmental organisations.

We have seen over the last few days the assessment of the European Commission, which was based on their questionnaire [filled out by the Georgian authorities]. I think the public has been convinced that Georgia deserved the candidate status already in June [2022]”, Papuashvili said in reference to the Commission’s decision to grant the status to Ukraine and Moldova but only a European perspective to Georgia.

“Since June 24, when Georgia did not receive the candidate status, every day has been an injustice towards Georgia. Therefore, we hope that this year the European Union will make a decision to grant [the country] the status”, the head of the legislative body noted.

Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Friday congratulated the country’s Government on the “positive report” on Georgia’s alignment with the European Union, released by the European Commission on Thursday.  

• EU Ambassador highlights European Commission's “very positive” report on Georgia

In his reaction, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stressed the document had “once again demonstrated” his country deserved the membership candidate status as a “top reformer”.