Georgian parliament speaker questions benefits of EU membership

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has said that remaining outside the European Union could be more advantageous for some small countries.

“At the very least, these countries will be able to make independent decisions freely. It is becoming increasingly clear that no one is considering admitting new members to the EU as it exists today. Candidate countries are not being offered equal membership, but rather a pre-modified system in which their rights and leverage will be limited,” Papuashvili said, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

He also argued that EU membership could not be considered full integration if it requires a state to surrender some sovereign rights without providing effective mechanisms to protect them.

By Sabina Mammadli