The European Commission (E.C.) released its decision today to recommend the Council of the European Union (E.U.) grant Georgia candidate status, citing the progress made by “government action to accelerate the reform process and strengthen good governance.” The recommendation for Georgia’s candidate status affirms the aspirations of Georgians for eventual full E.U. membership and reintegration into the European family.
In response to the E.C.’s decision, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said, “The European Commission has released a positive assessment and recommended Georgia for well-deserved E.U. candidate status. We’re grateful for the support and excited to continue our journey towards full-fledged E.U. membership.” The Prime Minister further thanked the United States for its support, saying, “I would also like to thank our strategic partner, the United States of America. I would especially like to mention that I had transformative and decisive meetings with our American friends a month ago.” The Prime Minister specifically cited meeting with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and expressed his thanks to the White House and Mr. Sullivan for their efforts on Georgia’s behalf.
Georgian Ambassador to the United States David Zalkaliani also remarked on the occasion, saying, “Today signifies a great moment in our nation’s history as the European Commission recommends E.U. candidate status for Georgia. This significant step brings us closer to realizing our mission of reuniting Georgia with Europe. We deeply appreciate the support from all our partners and E.U. member states and look forward to continuing our historic journey!”
In making the decision, the E.C. said, “Georgia has taken steps to strengthen engagement with the E.U. and increased the pace of reforms in recent months to address the twelve priorities identified in its membership application.” E.C. President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted that the Commission “fully supported” Georgia’s European aspirations and added that there were “tangible steps” in implementing the bloc’s conditions.
The Government of Georgia will continue to work collaboratively with all relevant stakeholders to further Georgia’s E.U. integration towards full membership within the bloc.