Georgian PM: All processes are aimed at Georgia becoming EU member in 2030

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday said his Government was responsible for the country’s membership of the European Union and noted “all the ongoing processes” in Georgia were aimed at the country’s full integration into the EU in 2030.

In his comments over the Georgian Parliament’s decision to override President Salome Zourabichvili’s veto on the law on transparency of foreign influence earlier today, Kobakhidze told the media that without transparency and with “repeated revolution attempts” in the country “every year”, Georgia would not be able to become EU member state “even in 2040”.

Regarding Ukraine, the Chancellor of Germany said that the country would not become a member of NATO for another 30 years. We do not want Ukrainisation. If there is no transparency, the risk of Ukrainisation is high”, the PM claimed, noting “if the situation in the country pacifies, Georgia will move forward much faster on the European integration path”.

"Our goal is to join the EU, not to join any politician or bureaucrat. Accordingly, we will, of course, consistently continue the policy aimed at joining the bloc”, Kobakhidze said, adding despite the “numerous difficulties at various stages” with politicians and “specific bureaucrats”, Georgia still managed to make progress on the European integration path and was granted the membership candidate status last year.

The Head of the Government pointed out that the Georgian authorities acted within the responsibility assigned by Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia - the state constitutional bodies shall take all necessary measures to ensure Georgia's full integration into the EU and NATO.

Kobakhidze explained that the transparency law would be “a serious step towards depolarisation”, which was demanded by the EU several times.

Today, the new law ensures that artificial polarisation will no longer be financed from the outside in Georgia. This law, adopted by the Parliament today, is a serious mechanism to ensure this”, he added.

The PM claimed that Georgia was “ahead of” all other candidate countries “in many directions”, including democracy, strength of institutions, human rights and the rule of law, and announced the Government would present “a very specific programme in the near future [pre-election programme]” for the public and also for the country’s partners, which would envisage the strengthening of the country in all directions, including progress in terms of EU integration.

The Georgian Parliament earlier today overrode the President’s veto on the transparency law, which calls for the registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, on the backdrop of ongoing public protests and criticism by the country’s international partners.