Pro-EU protests in Georgia have entered the second month, following the previous announcement of the Georgian PM to suspend EU membership talks until 2028.
The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze has said that the country’s membership to the European Union is among the top priorities of his government foreign policy.
Kobakhidze added that by 2030, Georgia would be the best prepared country among the candidate countries aspiring to join the European Union, Schengen.News reports.
In terms of democratic and economic reforms, we are a leader in the broader region, and this achievement deserves appropriate recognition. By 2030, Georgia will be the most prepared candidate country for full EU membership.the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze
During the closing event of the annual Ambassadors’ Conference, attended also by the heads of Georgian diplomatic offices, the Georgian PM said that it was “regrettable” that the issue was among the most used ones for speculation by some international actors.
However the PM of Georgia, said that in spite of all artificially created obstacles and contradictions, the country continues to progress towards EU membership.
This was reflected in Georgia’s receipt of candidate status in December last year. Of course, the role of our diplomats in this success is also special. We will continue to fulfil all our obligations.the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze
Georgia’s EU Accession to Be Made Only by Preserving National Values
While Kobakhidze says that Georgia’s accession to the bloc is among the key priorities of the government, thousands of Georgians continue to fill Tbilisi’s streets every day as pro-EU protests enter the second month.
The pro-EU protests that began on November 28 followed Kobakhidze’s announcement to suspend EU membership talks until 2028.
Yesterday, the former MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party, Mikheil Kavelashvili, was formally inaugurated as president of Georgia.
The former professional soccer player previously supported Kobakhidze’s announcement stressing that Georgia is simply demanding mutual respect from the bloc.
Kavelashvili said that Georgia wants to become part of the EU but such a goal must be achieved while preserving national values.
Of course, we declare our ambition to become an EU member. This is the state’s declared will, and we all agree on this. However, we also have national interests, which do not harm the EU. This is our natural stance, and we will not abandon it.President of Georgia, Mikheil Kavelashvili
Risk of EU Accession Process Suspension for Georgia
Recently, Germany’s Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, proposed talks on the suspension of the EU membership process for Georgia.
The proposal, according to Baerbock, comes due to the Georgian government’s anti-EU stance and the violence against pro-European protestors.
On December 20, the European Commission proposed the partial suspension of the EU-Georgia visa-free travel agreement.
