The issue of the president’s impeachment is a risk that will further strain the already-tense situation and deepen polarization. All institutions must work together to support the country on its European path,’’ stated the High representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Vice President of the European Commission Joseph Borrell, after the meeting with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili.
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According to him, the criteria for obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership are clearly defined in the form of 12 priorities. ‘’As we already stated in our report, since June you have fulfilled three of them and the remaining 9 are in progress, but we still have time to complete them.
First and foremost is the depolarization of the political landscape, de-oligarchization of economic, political, and social spheres, reform of the judicial system, reform of the electoral system, media pluralism, and human rights.
There is no quick way of achieving all this, everything requires careful work, political will, and a clear commitment to the values of the European Union,’’ said Borrell.
At the press conference, the high representative of the European Union spoke about Georgia’s foreign policy.
‘’We support Ukraine and will continue to for as long as it takes; we firmly condemn the aggressor and are determined to help Georgia support the country in need. It is of utmost importance that closest partner states work in synchrony to isolate Russia, and we welcome the efforts in the country that are directed towards preventing the circumvention of sanctions.
I must also express my disappointment with the restoration of flights between Georgia and Russia. This is a message that speaks to Georgia’s foreign policy. Georgia has accepted certain obligations within the framework of the Association Agreement and wants to become a member of the European Union. A lot needs to improve on this path.
Hybrid dealings with Russia must be put an end to. For this very reason, the European Union emphasizes the need to strengthen the independent of the civil society in Georgia, strengthen the resilience against disinformation, and establish a democratic system in the country. The provision of unbiased information is of prior importance in this process.
My next message concerns my unwavering support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. In the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, our relationship is at its strongest. We will continue to stand with Georgia, and these are not just empty words, we are proving this with concrete actions, and investments; we have special representatives in the country within a monitoring mission that has been in operation in the country for 15 years,’’ said Borrell.
According to Irakli Gharibashvili, the bulk of the 12 recommendations outlined by the European Union has been fulfilled.
‘’Just several recommendations remain, on which we are actively working. One of them is de-oligarchization. We held consultations with the European Union regarding this. We took their advice into account and did not adopt the law on de-oligarchization. Instead, we are working on an action plan that fully reflects the spirit of this recommendation and it will be ready in a week or two.
As for another recommendation that is in progress, the judicial reform, I want to tell you that
The court underwent a complete transformation in the last 10 years, and today it represents a truly exemplary judicial system. Confidence in the court is very high in Georgia, at the same level as in European courts.
In addition, we await the final recommendations from the Venice Commission in October. We will hold additional consultation with you before that, and then the final changes will be implemented,’’ said Irakli Gharibashvili.
He also said that since these recommendations were issued, polarization not only didn’t reduce but deepened. ‘’The radical forces operating in Georgia, I mostly mean the party of the previous government, the most anti-European agents, through their nature and experience, are trying to sabotage this process and use it for political leverage. They are using this process to destabilize the country so that it doesn’t receive the candidate status. Therefore, I would like to emphasize that the ruling party was, is, and will always be ready to cooperate with all opposition parties to realize common rational ideals and grow closer to the European Union, so that we receive the candidate status, and at the same time, our main priority is to maintain peace and stability and ensure the welfare of our people,’’ stated Gharibashvili.
According to the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, it was emphasized at the meeting that the so-called terminological separation of the people and the government and some attempts that we, unfortunately, see from the radical opposition and some European politicians, is absolutely unacceptable for the European Union.
‘’The people, the government, and the country, represent a single organism, and if a decision is made regarding the country, it will apply equally to this organism – the people and the government,’’ said Papuashvili.
