Georgian PM tells Parliament country will join EU “together with Abkhaz, Ossetian brothers, sisters”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday told the Parliament he was confident a reunified Georgia would join the European Union “until 2030” with its citizens, including “Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers and sisters”.

The PM told the legislative body in his annual report that the next four years would be a “turning point” on the state’s development path.

We have two main national tasks - this is to finally overcome poverty in our country and to make our country reunified. Both dreams are achievable - we can say this very boldly - [and] the main thing is that we stand on the guard of national interests”, Kobakhidze said.

“I believe that until 2030 we will live in a reunified Georgia together with our Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers and sisters, and together we will join the European Union, together we will become a full-fledged member of the European Union”, he noted.

The PM also highlighted the policy of “strategic patience”.

“We have a policy of strategic patience, and we believe that this is the right way to fulfil our main national task. Of course, a lot depends on the processes in the region, on the global processes”, the PM continued.

He also added a “new geopolitical reality” provided an “opportunity to utilise new potential from the economic point of view”.