PM: Georgia rejects EU blackmail, stands firm on European course

Georgia’s leadership continues to pursue its strategy of integrating into the European Union, reaffirmed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze during a briefing on November 29.

"We remain true to our European course. This was emphatically stated yesterday, and I repeat it loudly today," Kobakhidze declared, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

"As for artificial tools of blackmail, this is a question of opening negotiations [with the EU on accession], which, from a practical standpoint, yields nothing."

The Georgian government is prepared to take diplomatic measures if the European Union’s Ambassador to Tbilisi, Pawel Herczynski, does not cease interfering in the country’s internal affairs and change his rhetoric.

Kobakhidze remarked that there are examples of countries with which accession talks to the EU were initiated, yet this did not accelerate the process of full integration into the union. According to Kobakhidze, Georgia will continue to fulfil its obligations under the EU Association Agreement, and if negotiations are launched by the European Union by the end of 2028, the country will be ready for EU membership by 2030.

Kobakhidze also noted that he is prepared to sign a document today to begin negotiations with the EU on accession, should the union take that step, instead of "leaving a tool for blackmail."

In a recent development, Kobakhidze accused Herczynski of making statements in support of the opposition while criticizing the Georgian authorities—actions he argued violated the Vienna Convention.

"For some time, we have not responded to all of this, but everything has its limit. If we do not see a change in behaviour in the future, we will certainly respond diplomatically, both in relation to the EU ambassador and other ambassadors," Kobakhidze stated.

The Prime Minister reminded that during the election period, Herczynski had previously exerted pressure on Georgia’s government, warning that the EU would withhold financial aid unless the government "changed its course."

Additionally, the EU ambassador had urged Georgian citizens to vote for the opposition during the parliamentary elections on October 26.

By Aghakazim Guliyev