Nils Schmid, a member of the German Bundestag delegation, stated that recalling the Russian law on so-called foreign agents should be one of the conditions for Georgia to begin negotiations on joining the European Union. Schmid made this statement at a press conference at the end of his three-day visit to Tbilisi.
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At the end of last year, the European Commission outlined nine conditions for Georgia, which must be met before the country can advance to the stage of accession negotiations.
"We are very concerned about recent developments in Georgia and the fate of its European future. This is a crucial moment for us to send two clear messages: first, we expect the elections at the end of October to be fair and free. These elections are decisive for the European future of democracy in Georgia. It is up to Georgia to decide its path, and we respect the results of these elections,
The second message is that under the current policy of the government, there is no option for Georgia to become a member of the European Union. The EU has clearly stated this by suspending the European integration process.
Any decision on the EU accession process requires the approval of the parliament, and our parties represent the largest majority in the German Bundestag. Given the current policy, Georgia will not be able to obtain the German parliament's approval to open accession negotiations.
Everyone knows the nine steps that Georgia must take to start EU accession negotiations. I want to add a tenth step: the recall of the 'foreign agents' law, which is clearly against European standards," said Nils Schmid [translation by Formula TV].
Since September 4, a delegation from the Foreign Relations Committee of the German Bundestag, including Deborah Düring (Union 90/Greens), Jürgen Hardt (Christian Democratic Union/CDU), Ulrich Lechte (Free Democratic Party/FDP), and Nils Schmid (Social Democratic Party/SPD), has been visiting Georgia. The delegation met with representatives of non-governmental organizations and opposition parties but was denied meetings with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili. Both officials attended the graduation ceremony of the first graduates from Kutaisi International University, founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili.
"Unfortunately, the government did not meet with us despite our requests. We asked for meetings at the highest levels, but we were refused. They couldn't find the time, even though our visit was planned weeks in advance. I hope that after the elections, the movement towards democracy will continue with a strong government. It is even more disappointing considering the support Georgia has from Germany," said Ulrich Lechte.
Irakli Kobakhidze criticized Mikhail Roth, chairman of the Bundestag's Foreign Relations Committee, for his speech at the rally against the Russian law on May 14, accusing him of attempting a "revolution." On behalf of the parliamentary majority, Nikoloz Samkharadze, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, met with his German counterparts.
