Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday told visiting Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman that his country “deseres” the European Union membership candidate status. 

At a meeting in the Government office, Garibashvili cited the recently published “positive report” of the European Commision on Georgia’s alignment with the bloc’s legal framework and stressed the assessments “once again confirmed” Georgia should obtain the status later this year. 

Garibashvili also discussed  bilateral ties and thanked the Croatian authorities for their support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and its Euro-Atlantic goals. 

Radman is scheduled to leave Tbilisi on Saturday, after meeting several Georgian officials, visiting the occupation line in central Georgia and delivering a lecture at Tbilisi State University.