Georgia doing its “utmost” to obtain EU membership candidate status

The Georgian Government is doing its “utmost” to obtain the status of a European Union membership candidate state and by “merit-based” decision the country deserves the candidate status, the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on March 12 in an interview with Imedi TV, Agenda.Ge informs.

Garibashvili praised the Georgian Parliament’s “hard work” with the Government to implement the 12-point conditions outlined by the EU [in June 2022] for granting the membership candidate status to Georgia later this year, “in the shortest possible time”.

According to the latest report by the EU, Georgia is “far ahead in all directions”, compared to Ukraine and Moldova, the Prime Minister said and stressed the EU had made a “political decision” by not granting Georgia the candidate status, noting the country has been “punished in a way”.

"The status was given to them [Ukraine and Moldova] as an advance. We do not envy anyone, we have been told many times, but our expectation is that since we are doing everything, we should get the status by the end of the year”, the PM emphasised.

He also highlighted the ruling Georgian Dream party as the initiator to making the entry in the Constitution of Georgia, that the only, non-alternative and irreversible path of the country is Euro-Atlantic integration.

The Head of the Government said if anyone sabotaged the European integration process it would be “destructive, radical” domestic opposition, noting that this means they would try to “have more riots, destroy the economy, and tourism”.

"Every country and every state has its own interests, but we have our own interests and we have the right to protect them. [...] we will continue our national, sovereign policy. Our task is to strengthen our country's sovereignty, independence and our main dream - to unite our country and join the European Union with dignity”, Garibashvili noted.

He added that joining the EU would not be an easy process, but the Government would continue to do its best.

"There was a lot of scepticism in European countries, [...] a lot of people mentioned geography. We heard a lot of sceptical statements, but we got it [European perspective] and it needs to be preserved and protected”, the PM said.

The Head of the Government highlighted the accomplishments [his Government’s] in the last ten years, including signing the Association Agreement with the European Union in 2014, as well as establishing a visa-free regime and obtaining the European perspective.