Ambassador Hartzell: claims that the West wants to see Georgia at war groundless

EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell said on Thursday that the claims that the West wants to see Georgia dragged into Russia’s war in Ukraine or that Georgia’s position over the war had made any influence on the EU’s decision not to immediately grant Georgia candidate status, were groundless. 

 

Three former MPs of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, who left the party last month to “tell the public the truth,” had suggested that “great forces” wished to see Georgia at war with Russia. 

 

The MPs, who said they had no controversies with the GD, also accused US Ambassador Kelly Degnan of supporting the groups who wished to see Georgia drawn into the war. 

 

The GD head Irakli Kokhaidze stated that the European Council made a “political and not a merit-based decision” to grant Ukraine and Moldova both European perspective and candidate status and Georgia only perspective in early June, noting that if Georgia got involved in the war, it would “definitely”  receive the status by the end of this year. 

 

“The Commission assessed Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova on their own merits and based on set criteria. The presence of military operations is in no way such a criterion,” Hartzell said. 

 

“I am really disappointed to see those trying to make such false claims [over Georgia’s draining into the war], whether directed at the EU or the US.As you will have seen, from day one of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine, the EU has been working hard with partners to put an end to these atrocities,” Hartzell stated.  

 

He said that once a country’s European perspective had been recognised, obtaining candidate status was the first official step in the accession process and a precondition to advance further.“However, a candidate status does not entail any automatic access to additional funding compared to countries having the European perspective,” he said. 

 

He stated that Georgian parties would now have to sit down and agree on the way forward to address the 12 priorities set by the European Commission for Georgia’s candidacy, noting that the April 19, 2021 Agreement remained a “good starting point” on both process and content.

 

The April 19 agreement was proposed by European Council President Charles Michel to allow Georgian political parties end a several-month, post-election, political standoff in Georgia. 

 

The agreement included needs for judiciary, electoral and other reforms. 

 

However, the ruling party withdrew from the agreement in July 2021, citing the refusal of the United National Movement opposition not to join the agreement as a reason.