Kobakhidze: Georgia Will Pursue EU Integration with Dignity, Sovereignty and Respect for Democratic Principles

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said that Georgia remains committed to European integration but will pursue that goal only on terms that respect the country’s sovereignty, democracy and the rule of law, accusing European officials of undermining those principles.

Speaking to journalists in Brussels, Kobakhidze said the Georgian government was prepared to engage in open dialogue with European institutions on all outstanding issues, insisting that any such discussions should be transparent to the public.

“We want to continue our path towards European integration only with dignity, and dignity encompasses specific values and principles, including sovereignty, democracy and the rule of law. Unfortunately, we see that the European bureaucracy is acting against these principles,” Kobakhidze said.

The Prime Minister argued that Georgian society supports both European integration and the ruling Georgian Dream party, citing the results of the 2024 parliamentary elections as evidence of public backing for the government’s political direction.

“Georgian society supports European integration, and at the same time, it supports Georgian Dream, which has made specific decisions over the years, including those announced in 2024,” he said.

Kobakhidze noted that Georgian Dream received more than 1.1 million votes in the 2024 parliamentary elections, which he interpreted as an endorsement of the government’s domestic and foreign policy decisions, including its approach to European integration.

He recalled that the ruling party had campaigned under the slogan “Towards Europe with Dignity”, stressing that dignity remained central to Georgia’s European aspirations.

The Prime Minister also criticised statements by European officials concerning Georgia’s judicial system, arguing that external political pressure risked undermining judicial independence and the rule of law.

“When political statements are made concerning the judiciary, this is, of course, an attack on independent justice. When they demand the release of individuals who threw Molotov cocktails, this is an attack on the rule of law,” Kobakhidze said.

He maintained that such incidents formed part of a broader pattern of what he described as interference with Georgia’s sovereign institutions.

Despite these disagreements, Kobakhidze reiterated that the Georgian government was willing to discuss every contentious issue with its European counterparts.

“We are saying something very simple: we need to begin dialogue and discussions on all issues. There are no closed subjects for us. We are ready for an open discussion on every matter,” he said.

However, he insisted that negotiations between Georgian authorities and European officials should take place transparently, allowing the public to understand the positions presented by both sides.

“These discussions must take place before the public. Society must know exactly what is being discussed between the Georgian government and the European bureaucracy,” Kobakhidze said.