PM claims EU will have “no reasons” ro reject Georgia’s candidacy

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday claimed the European Union will have “no reasons” to reject Georgia’s candidacy in December, saying “all remaining issues” related to the reform agenda outlined by the bloc last year for granting the status would be resolved by the end of this month. 

 

Garibashvili’s comment came following the Government’s approval of the deoligarchisation action plan on Thursday – one of 12 conditions for obtaining the EU candidacy – with the country’s authorities saying the document offered a “systemic, not individual approach” to the issue as offered by the Venice Commission in June. 

 

The PM stressed “we will not tolerate an unfair decision” by the bloc on the country’s status. 

 

The European Commission in June said the country had fully completed three of 12 conditions, partially met seven, marked a limited progress on one and had no progress on the media pluralism recommendation. 

 

Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative, said while in Tbilisi earlier this month the bloc would particularly focus on the deologirachisation, depolarisation and media freedom conditions, and the decision on the status would be only “merit-based”.