Georgian President hopes for “positive” decision on Georgia’s EU candidacy
She stressed that “any setback” on Georgia’s EU path would be “a step forward” for Russia, adding decisions regarding Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova would be “a very serious message [from the EU]” amid Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Photo via Presidential Administration
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Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Wednesday expressed hope the European Council’s decision would be “positive” not only on granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status but on opening accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.
In her address at the closing event of the campaign Our Voice to Europe, which called on European leaders to grant Georgia the EU status, Zourabichvili noted the EU candidacy for Georgia would be the “beginning of a new life - entering the European family”.
She stressed that “any setback” on Georgia’s EU path would be “a step forward” for Russia, adding decisions regarding Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova would be “a very serious message [from the EU]” amid Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine.
This is a crossroad. Georgia has gone through many stages until now, this path has not started today, neither yesterday, nor on November 8, nor when we were given a [European] perspective [last year]. [...] It started when we entered the OSCE [...] with Zurab Zhvania's [late former Georgia’s PM] famous speech at the Council’s meeting [where Zhvania said ‘I am Georgian, therefore I am European’]”, the President said.
The event, hosted in the Orbeliani Palace, was attended by citizens, diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia and representatives of several domestic political parties.
Earlier today, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said members of the ruling party would reject the invitation to join the event, calling Zourabichvili the “President of the UNM [opposition party]”.
Zourabichvili launched a signature campaign titled Our Voice to Europe on November 8, following the European Commission’s recommendation to the European Council to grant the country the EU candidate status.
The petition was signed by more than 45,000 citizens, including currently imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and the representatives of the UNM party.