Georgian Dream’s EU accession timeline a ‘lie’, Europe-Georgia Institute founder

The founder of the Europe-Georgian Institute, Giorgi Melashvili, has dismissed the ruling Georgian Dream party’s claims that Georgia could join the European Union by 2028 or 2030, calling them “simply lies”.

Melashvili said on Wednesday the government was isolating the country from its Western partners, comparing the EU pledge to what he described as false promises earlier this year of improving relations with the United States.

“They have now chosen a new moving date to mislead their voters, deceive them, and exploit Georgian society’s pro-Western orientation, while doing everything to isolate our country,” he said.

Georgian Dream has previously said it remained committed to EU membership, but critics accuse the government of backsliding on democratic reforms and undermining ties with the West.