Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said Hungary “firmly” backed Tbilisi’s receiving the European Union membership candidate status this month. 

The official, who is visiting Hungary ahead of the European Council session on December 14-15 to decide on Georgia’s candidacy and opening accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, claimed Hungary would support Tbilisi’s candidacy as a “non-alternative decision”. 

He further claimed Hungary’s disagreement with the bloc over allocating aid to  Ukraine amid the latter’s ongoing war with Russia would not affect Tbilisi’s  EU integration prospects. 

The Georgian authorities praise Budapest as a “vocal supporter” of Georgia’s EU integration, despite the Hungarian Government's continuous controversies with the bloc. 

Hungary slammed the EU for its move in June 2022 to grant Georgia a European perspective and full candidacy to Ukraine and Moldova, sharing the thoughts of the Georgian authorities that it was an “unfair” and a “not-merit-based” decision.