PM hails EU candidacy as “main” foreign policy achievement

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday hailed the granting of the European Union membership candidate status to the country as the “main achievement” of his Government’s foreign policy, calling the result a “great victory, including for our diplomatic corps”.

In his end-of-year report summarising the work of the Government, Garibashvili claimed the policy of the ruling power was based on the country’s “national interests”.

The main achievement of our country's foreign policy is, naturally, receiving the European Union membership candidate status. This is a great victory, including for our diplomatic corps. I want to thank our Foreign Ministry, the Minister personally, [and] our diplomats”, the PM told the audience. 

“[O]ne of the main challenges for our country is, of course, the [Russian] occupation [of our territories], and the peaceful deoccupation of our territories is our declared goal. We have announced a policy of strategic patience, and here we are of course guided by the national interests of our country”, he continued.  

Garibashvili added that partnerships with European states had “moved to a higher level” over the past 10 years, with high-level formats of bilateral strategic cooperation being established with France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Poland. 

He also said relations and partnership with “our main strategic partner”, the United States, were at a “high level”.