With the historic European perspective, you have the opportunity to chart a new trajectory for Georgia for generations. Systemic reforms, inclusiveness and transparency are now needed more than ever, for people of Georgia”, Charles Michel, the European Council president tweeted on Wednesday after meeting with Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili in Belgium. 

The head of the Georgian government stressed the meeting had outlined his country’s aspirations for EU integration was “ firm as ever” and expressed hopes the Council would make “another historic decision” by granting the country the bloc’s membership candidate status by the end of this year. 

The PM also thanked Michel for his “personnel support” for Georgia’s European future. 

The major topic of the discussion was the Georgian government’s efforts to meet the 12-point condition outlined by the bloc last June for granting the country its membership candidate status, the government administration said. 

The officials also reviewed security challenges on the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and “severe humanitarian situation” in Georgia’s currently Russian-controlled Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions, the press office added. 

Georgia applied for EU membership on March 3, 2022, along with Ukraine and Moldova, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and was granted a European perspective by the bloc in June, which Tbilisi said was a “historic, but unfair decision”, as Ukraine and Moldova “with lower democracy” were granted full candidacy with conditions.