EU Commissioner: candidate status “brings dividends” to Georgia but also to bloc
Olivér Várhelyi, the European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, on Tuesday said the EU membership candidate status was bringing “benefits” and “dividends” not only to the country but also to the bloc. Photo: Gov't Administration
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Olivér Várhelyi, the European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, on Tuesday said the EU membership candidate status, granted to Georgia in December, was bringing “benefits” and “dividends” not only to the country but also to the bloc.
In comments after the eighth meeting of the EU-Georgia Association Council in Brussels, Várhelyi also said the country had “fulfilled” the bloc’s enlargement objectives.
We agreed to accelerate the pace of our work in order to put results on the way to the implementation of nine recommendations [set out by the European Commission for opening EU accession talks with the country] - whether it is an economic or investment plan, whether it is the implementation of reforms in general - in order for Georgia to become a truly European state and a member of the European single market”, he said.
During our discussion we agreed with Georgia to speed up the implementation of our Economic & Investment Plan.
— Oliver Varhelyi (@OliverVarhelyi) February 20, 2024
Our connectivity agenda has huge potential to improve the lives of many living on both sides of the Black Sea ???? #EIP pic.twitter.com/BE5p0YyPY1
The Commissioner added the meeting was also dedicated to preparations for the next steps in the work for fulfilling the recommendations.
The goal of our meeting is to bring Georgia into the EU. We are very happy that ₾1.9 billion ($715mln) has already been mobilised and will be invested in energy, transport, small and medium business, human rights, and other sectors”, Várhelyi said.
He added the investments would lead to “economic and job growth” in Georgia.