Kobakhidze Expects Little Change in EU Enlargement Report, Says Recommendations Are Not Directives

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said he does not expect significant changes in the European Union’s latest enlargement report compared with last year’s assessment, stressing that Georgia will evaluate each recommendation individually and act in accordance with its national interests.

Speaking to journalists in Brussels, Kobakhidze said the government’s willingness to implement the European Commission’s recommendations would depend on their substance, arguing that recommendations should not be treated as binding instructions.

“I do not expect any major changes compared with last year’s enlargement report. Whether we take the recommendations into account will depend on their content. They are called recommendations precisely because they require consideration and a decision on how to proceed. They are not directives,” Kobakhidze said.

The Prime Minister drew a comparison with Georgia’s Soviet past, emphasizing the distinction between recommendations issued by international institutions and orders imposed by external authorities.

“If we are talking about directives, we remember receiving directives from Moscow when we were part of the Soviet Union. But when it comes to recommendations, everyone must take the time to examine and assess their substance,” he stated.

Kobakhidze said the Georgian government would carefully review each recommendation included in the EU report but would not automatically accept measures it considered contrary to the country’s interests.

“We will carefully examine every recommendation. Where we believe a recommendation should be taken into account, we will do so. Where we find that a particular recommendation contradicts Georgia’s national interests, we will act in accordance with those interests,” he said.