The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, has a visit to Georgia scheduled. Before the visit, she made a comment noting that they saw attempts to deviate the country from the pro-European course, a course which the absolute majority of Georgians support .
“The population of Georgia has defined the European Union as a clear goal. In recent weeks, they took over the streets of Tbilisi with the flags of the European Union, when they held demonstrations to protect pluralism and the rule of law.
“During my visit, I would like to make it clear that Germany fully supports Georgia’s European perspective. We see attempts to divert the country from the pro-European course. The absolute majority of Georgians support this course. We see the pressures the country is facing from within and outside. I will talk to the government in Tbilisi about the steps that the country still has to take to get EU candidate status.
“Along with respect for democratic standards, needed is the freedom of the media, an active civil society, and the maintenance of public debate with the principles of mutual respect, even if opinions sometimes differ. We, as the European Union, are united by these values, and we are convinced there can be no shortcuts or concessions,” Baerbock noted.