NATO official: 2024 will be “critically important” for Georgia, expecting country to complete EU priorities

He stressed the importance of carrying out relevant reforms for the implementation of the EU recommendations, noting by fulfilling them Georgia would also “meet the requirements” of NATO. Photo via Parliament of Georgia

Agenda.ge, 19 Dec 2023 - 19:55, Tbilisi,Georgia

Javier Colomina, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, on Tuesday said granting membership candidate status to Georgia by the European Union was “a historic moment” for the country, as well as for the international community, noting 2024 would be “critically important” for Georgia in this regard.

At a press briefing as part of his visit to Tbilisi, Colomina emphasised he was expecting Georgia to take nine steps, outlined by the European Commission for opening EU accession talks with the country.

He stressed the importance of carrying out relevant reforms for the implementation of the EU recommendations, noting by fulfilling them Georgia would also “meet the requirements” of NATO.

The progress achieved by Georgia in “some of the most important reforms” was also highlighted by the NATO official, adding there was “clearly room for improvement”, especially in judicial reform, depolarisation and deoligarchisation.

Colomina also pointed out the “good meetings” with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, President Salome Zourabichvili and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, adding he would also meet Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili.