Georgia Aims for EU Membership by End of 2023 Despite Setbacks

According to him, the work of the Georgian authorities on the implementation of the 12-point plan on the way to EU membership is “active”.

“The implementation of all reforms will be completed by the end of June, and the country will be ready to receive candidate status,” the politician notes.

Kobakhidze assures that by the end of this month “absolutely all points will be fulfilled.”

In this context, Kobakhidze expressed hope that in December 2023 the European Council would make a “fair political decision”, referring to the “go-ahead” for obtaining the status of a candidate member of the EU.

“Unfortunately, last year the European Council made a decision that was disappointing for our society. We hope that in this case a fair political decision will be made in December,” he said.

In a conversation with journalists, Kobakhidze noted that when it comes to a political solution, the chances are “50/50”.

“Everyone knows that we were entitled to candidate status last June, which was also confirmed by the European Commission. We will be fully prepared to receive candidate status in December, but now a political decision is being made … The political context has not changed significantly since June last year, but we we still hope to get this status,” said the chairman of the Georgian Dream party.

Georgia on the way to the EU

Tbilisi, within the framework of European integration, must complete all the necessary reforms in accordance with the candidate’s plan for joining the EU. At the same time, the European Union sees some setbacks in the steps of the Georgian government along this path.

In particular, due to the resumption of air traffic with the Russian Federation, an official demarche was recently handed over to Georgia on behalf of 27 EU states, and then the EU ambassador noted that Tbilisi’s decision contradicts the EU’s determination to isolate the Russian Federation because of the war against Ukraine.

Earlier, Brussels also called on Georgia to join the sanctions and “remain vigilant about any possible attempts to circumvent” the restrictive measures.

However, the Georgian parliament stated that Tbilisi does not see any risks for itself in the resumption of flights by Russian airlines, and such a decision itself is dictated solely by the “policy of patience.”