Georgia will join EU before Ukraine, Moldova – Kobakhidze

Irakli Kobakhidze, the leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party, asserted on Friday that Georgia would join the European Union before Ukraine and Moldova, despite the European Council’s acceptance of the initiation of accession talks with both countries. Meanwhile, Tbilisi secured candidacy within the bloc.

Citing a ‘politically-grounded’ decision, Kobakhidze underscored Georgia’s advancements in democracy, human rights, and the economy. He maintained that Tbilisi ‘deserved’ the commencement of accession talks last year, even though the Council had withheld candidate status.

‘We are optimistic that a fair decision will be reached in 2024 regarding the initiation of accession talks with Georgia. Our track record reflects our ability to navigate through turbulent political processes, as demonstrated by our successful attainment of candidate status. Despite the challenges faced on this journey, we navigated these processes successfully,’ he conveyed to the press.

Georgia submitted its application for EU membership in March 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, deviating from the initially scheduled timeframe of 2024.”