FM: EU holds full authority over Georgia’s membership negotiations

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili rejected accusations that the Georgian government is responsible for delaying EU accession talks, calling such claims “absurd,” Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

In recent weeks, opposition parties and some European politicians have increasingly accused Georgia of abandoning its EU aspirations and failing to meet the conditions necessary to start formal negotiations.

Botchorishvili clarified Georgia’s position, stating, “Opening accession negotiations with Georgia is the prerogative of the European Union, not Georgia. Hence, it is absurd to accuse Georgia of suspending the process of accession to the European Union. The EU has all the instruments related to the enlargement of the European Union and Georgia's accession to the European Union in its hands.”

The Foreign Minister also addressed the EU’s occasional suspension of cooperation programs with Georgia, describing it as a disappointing practice.

She said, “As for the programs themselves, we have repeatedly heard the European Union's decision that one of the punishment mechanisms will be the suspension of various programs with Georgia. This decision was also taken long ago, but in order to actualise the issue, to put it back on the political agenda, we see that periodically there is a return to this issue.”

By Tamilla Hasanova