Georgian FM calls out Brussel for "contradictory" policy towards Tbilisi

Tbilisi accuses Brussels of taking a contradictory position in their approach by declaring support for Georgia’s European path while avoiding direct dialogue with its government.

This criticism was voiced by Georgia's Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media outlets.

“Accession to the EU cannot be a process that depends only on Georgia; it is a bilateral process, and our obligation is to prepare Georgia for EU membership, to make it a country compatible with this space and capable of withstanding the competition that exists in the EU,” Botchorishvili said.

According to the foreign minister, Tbilisi authorities are doing everything possible to ensure that the country moves forward in line with EU standards.

“The year 2030 is the most frequently mentioned date for the next wave of EU enlargement, and when 2030 arrives, Georgia will be the most prepared among the candidate countries for EU membership,” Botchorishvili stressed.

She further recalled EU statements that have effectively placed the responsibility for a halt in dialogue with Brussels on Georgia, although, in her words, the EU itself stopped this dialogue back in June.

“For an entire year, we have been observing an ongoing struggle to make the issue of EU accession and topics related to European integration the defining elements of the radical political agenda in Georgia,” the Georgian minister emphasized.

The minister elaborated her critical stance on the EU's Georgia approach by underscoring Brussels’ inconsistencies. According to her, there are statements supporting the European aspirations of the Georgian people and expressing a desire to see Georgia in the EU on the one hand, all the while dialogue is halted with the government elected by those same people.

By Nazrin Sadigova