Georgian PM claims country outperforming other EU candidates while left behind in integration

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday said the country was outperforming "all other candidate countries" for European Union membership and a "significant portion" of the bloc's member states but was left behind Ukraine and Moldova in its status in the process of European integration.

There is no ranking and index where Georgia is not far ahead of all the candidate countries and a significant part of the EU member states. [But] [u]nder these conditions, at least formally, we are half a step behind Ukraine and Moldova on the path to European integration”, he said.

On the one hand, there is Moldova, which is a country involved in corruption. Practically, they have not left free media in any form. They have not left any political pluralism, this country is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, it did not join the [international] sanctions [imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine], and such a country is [still] formally half a step ahead of Georgia today. The public should draw conclusions about this”, he said.

Kobakhidze suggested the considerations would be “reflected” in the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 26.