Yesterday, Charles Michel, the European Council President, announced that the Council granted Georgia European Union membership candidate status. In response to the announcement, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili remarked, “This is truly a victory for our country and our people.”
Prime Minister Garibashvili underscored that this accomplishment belongs to the Georgian people, noting it was the result of the citizens’ collective efforts. He expressed gratitude to “all the people who laid every brick in this historic victory.”
The Georgian government and society celebrated this important day for the country’s European aspirations, recognizing that there is still more work to be done to make the dream of EU membership a reality.
Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili stated, “Today’s decision is an explicit recognition of Georgia’s aspirations, its striving for many years and the progress achieved…We stand ready to work together with our European friends and partners to bring our country to its ultimate goal – EU membership.”
Georgia officially applied for EU membership on March 3, 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, after accelerating the initial plan to submit the membership application by 2024.
Since 2012, Georgia has emerged as a leader in Western-style free market principles and governance through accelerated reforms, leading in reputable worldwide rankings across multiple categories. For instance, the World Justice Projects Rule of Law Index 2023 ranks Georgia ahead of all EU candidate countries, as well as two EU and five NATO member states.
The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, remarked, “We are a nation that, in the past three decades, made a miraculous comeback from Soviet occupation to become a fully deserving candidate member of the European Union.”
Lawmakers in the Georgian parliament waved EU flags and played its anthem at Friday’s opening of their parliamentary session as thousands of Georgians gathered in the country’s capital Tbilisi to celebrate.
On Thursday evening, the hilltop TV tower overlooking Tbilisi and the Bridge of Peace were illuminated in the colors of the European Union flag to mark the occasion. (insert picture before or after this paragraph)
The Georgian Government and people greatly appreciate the US Government steadfast support for the nation’s European aspiration and congratulatory statements from the White House, State Department, and US Ambassador Robin Dunnigan on achieving candidate status.
