Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday hoped the European Union would not make a “big political mistake" by not granting his country its membership candidate status by the end of this year. 

In his comments at the ongoing Bratislava Global Security Forum, the PM slammed the bloc for its “unfair and unfounded” decision last year to grant Georgia only a European perspective, while Ukraine and Moldova, who he said were “far-behind” Georgia for their democratic status, had been granted the full candidacy. 

He said the EU’s explanations to grant the duo the status due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict were “unclear”, as Georgia faced Russian aggression first in 2008, had its territories occupied, and was “two-three times ahead” of both states. 

Garibashvili said if the EU refused to grant the candidate status to Georgia by the end of this year, his office would ensure the “country’s democratic advancement anyway”, but stressed such a decision would be a “big political mistake” considering the existing security and geopolitical challenges. 

He also said Georgia’s obtaining the status could end internal political polarization.