EU Ambassador: Georgia has “advantage” in integration process compared to aspiring members

Paweł Herczyński, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Monday said Georgia had an “advantage” over countries of the Western Balkans in the process of its integration into the bloc.

In comments at the Georgia-Western Balkans Inter-Parliamentary Conference on European Integration, Herczyński said the latter states were “moving forward because of their diligent reforms and careful implementation of the European Commission's recommendations”.

At the same time, Georgia has an advantage compared to [them]. The Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area deal [signed between Georgia and the EU in 2014] already included a comprehensive reform process covering most areas”, he said.

Herczyński added Georgia had a “very strong” public administration, an element he said was “still under development in most countries” of the Western Balkans. 

This is really an advantage when it comes to alignment with the EU, because Georgia will be able to approve and implement reforms”, he said.

The Ambassador added the country had already been moving towards compliance with technical norms and standards of the bloc when it applied for EU membership in March 2022, while stabilisation and association agreements signed with the countries of the Western Balkans were “not so far-reaching”.