Georgia to outpace EU aspirants by 2030, PM Kobakhidze claims

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has confidently asserted that his country will be the best-prepared candidate for European Union membership by the year 2030, outpacing all other aspiring member states.

His remarks came during a press briefing following his participation in the 3rd United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

“By 2030, Georgia will be the most prepared of all candidate countries for EU membership,” the Prime Minister stated. “A great deal is being done to achieve this, including ongoing economic reforms. Over the past four years, we have expanded the economic disparity between Georgia and Moldova by more than $11 billion, serving as a clear indicator of our accelerated growth. All of these steps and reforms are aimed at making Georgia a member of the European Union.”

In late 2023, Georgia was granted candidate status for membership in the European Union — a milestone in its long-standing aspiration to integrate with the West. However, in 2024, the Georgian government enacted a highly contentious "foreign agents" law, prompting widespread public unrest and drawing sharp rebuke from Western allies.

Against the backdrop of rapidly deteriorating relations with both the European Union and the United States, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on November 28 that the government had unilaterally decided to suspend the process of initiating formal accession negotiations — a critical next step following the conferral of candidate status. The move sparked renewed nationwide protests, further deepening political tensions and casting uncertainty over Georgia’s European trajectory.

By Vafa Guliyeva