“Sorry, Georgians, but I will say this, Bidzina (Ivanishvili) and membership in the EU is not compatible," said Lithuanian MEP Rasa Yukneviciani during her speech at the ongoing international conference (A Pivotal Year) in Tbilisi.
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Yukneviciani spoke about the expansion of the European Union and noted that without the "de-Bidzinization" of the country, she does not see any opportunity for Georgia to become a member of the European Union, despite liking what the Georgian people think about joining.
“Providing Georgia with a candidate status was not a merit-based issue or decision on the European Union side, it was more like encouraging Georgian people not to give up. Saying that we are together, from the European Union side,” said the European parliamentarian.
Rasa Yukneviciane stated that if the situation in Georgia worsens, the issue of visa-free travel could be reconsidered.
“It will be difficult but I myself started to think about that, so why not we will not open debates, so let's think a lot. I know that people here are different from those who don't care about the de-Bidzinization of the country but it's really really the main issue of Georgia. Despite Georgia being a front-runner, on reforms, on everything, it was really surprisingly very nice, very fruitful… Now Armenia is more in front in this region than Georgia is. This is how we evaluate the situation in the south caucasus from outside,” said the MEP.
As he noted during the October 26 parliamentary elections, the Georgian people have only two choices: the European way of life or the Russian world (Русский мир). "There is no other choice. When they (representatives of the Georgian Dream) talk about some kind of sovereignty, this is exactly the same Kremlin's narrative. I like very much the American proverb: 'If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's probably is a duck.' So, don't vote for Русский мир, and it will be NATO and EU membership."
Rasa Yukneviciane is a member of the European People's Party, the largest group in the European Parliament.
