Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili –Irakli Garibashvili addressed the President of the European Council as well as the leaders of the European Union in a letter on the generation of granting Georgia a candidate status of the European Union.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has sent a letter to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Spain Pedro Sanchez, and the leaders of all the European Union (EU) member states, urging them to grant Georgia the EU candidate status.
The letter comes after the European Commission (EC) recommended granting Georgia the EU candidate status on November 8, 2023, citing the progress made by the country in implementing the reforms and fulfilling the twelve priorities identified in its membership application.
The EC’s recommendation was welcomed by the Georgian government and the majority of the Georgian population, who have expressed their strong commitment to European values and aspirations. However, the final decision on granting Georgia the EU candidate status rests with the European Council, which is expected to convene later this week.
In his letter, Gharibashvili highlighted the achievements and challenges of Georgia’s EU integration process and stressed the importance of granting Georgia the EU candidate status as a recognition of its efforts and a motivation for further reforms.
He also emphasized the strategic significance of Georgia’s EU integration for the stability and security of the region, especially in the context of the ongoing Russian occupation of the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Gharibashvili expressed his hope that the EU leaders would support Georgia’s European aspirations and favour granting Georgia the EU candidate status, bringing the country closer to its ultimate goal of full EU membership.
