PM Garibashvil: congratulations, European prospective merit of Georgian Dream, Ivanishvili

All genuine progress on Georgia’s Euro-integration path is the merit of the Georgian Dream and the party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Monday, responding to the recent recommendation of the European Commission Ukraine and Moldova to be granted EU candidate status, while Georgia only a prospective.

 

Garibashvili vowed that Georgia would start implementing all recommendations, which are mandatory for the country to receive the candidate status, as soon as they are approved.

 

 “On June 17, the European Commission made a historic decision.The European Commission recommended to the European Council that Georgia be given a European prospective. This is truly a historic decision. So, I congratulate each Georgian on making this historic decision. The second thing that the European Commission also wrote in its recommendation and addressed to the Council is that Georgia should be granted the status of an EU candidate as soon as the priorities and conditions are met.

 

“Now, as soon as the Council approves these recommendations, we will, of course, start working with Brussels. Most of these recommendations were already on our agenda. There are other issues that we will find out with Brussels, we will work and get the status of a candidate,” Garibashvili said.

 

He claimed that Georgia was not envious of Ukraine and Moldova.

 

“I would like to congratulate our Ukrainian and Moldovan friendly people on this success,” he said, noting that Moldova and Ukraine were given the status “in advance.”

 

“I would like to explain to our citizens: I know that most of them have some questions as to why Moldova and Ukraine are more encouraged. Moldova and Ukraine have an absolutely identical record in terms of prospects. Actually, status is given in advance. They will have to carry out a number of reforms. In our case, on the contrary, we must first fulfill all the conditions that have been set, implement reforms, priorities, and after that Georgia will be granted status,” Garibashvili stated.

 

He said that both Ukraine and Moldova were in a “very complicated situation.”

 

“Dear friends, we understand very well that Ukraine is in the most difficult situation. Twenty percent of their territories are already occupied. Moldova is also in a very difficult situation. If anyone was affected by this war, one of the first is Moldova, as it is a bordering state and there was a serious inflow of refugees and asylum seekers.  Both economic and security risks have increased significantly in Moldova,” Garibashvili said.

 

He claimed that before the recommendations were made “European leaders were already publicly confirming the fact that this decision would be made because Ukraine is at war and Moldova is in a complicated situation.”