On the evening of December 14, the European Council announced it was opening EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and was granting EU Candidate Status to Georgia.
Georgia has been celebrating the news since, with European Union flags flying in the streets and on different buildings in Tbilisi and countrywide, and the TV tower above the capital lit up in blue and white.
A public celebration of the annoncement was held in Freedom Square in Tbilisi on December 15, just before the official New Year lights were lit citywide, with speeches from the country’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, and Ambassador of the EU to Georgia Pawel Herczynski, congratulating the country, followed by a live orchestral rendition of the Georgian and EU anthems, and several musical numbers from Georgian celebrities and choral groups.
The Prime Minister thanked all the people who had “laid each brick in the cause of this historic victory and brought this victory to the people”.
He also thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi and the leaders of all 27 EU member states for granting Georgia EU status.
“With great pride and joy, I congratulate you on the historic decision. Georgia has become a candidate country for EU membership. I want to congratulate every citizen on today’s historic day. This is truly a victory that our government obtained for our country and our people. We fought, we won. I want to express my sincere gratitude to our European friends,” Garibashvili said.
The European Council’s decision to grant Georgia EU Candidate Status followed on from the European Commission’s recommendation to grant candidate status to Georgia on November 8.
Georgia officially applied for EU membership on March 3, 2022.
US Ambassador Congratulates Georgia
“We welcome the commitment of the European Union and its member states to the expansion of the family of European countries,” US Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunigan said. “The United States celebrates with you that you are Georgians and, therefore, Europeans. We are proud to support Georgia on this path and will continue to do so.”
Lithuanian President: A Necessary Political Signal
“An amazing political process is going on: Just yesterday we were talking about the obstacles related to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, and today we are celebrating, and I am really proud to be a European. It was necessary to send this political signal to our friends, especially Ukraine, because the country is at war. I had the opportunity to communicate with President Zelensky, I called him and said: You deserved this decision, you made a lot of efforts to carry out the necessary reforms, and you were rewarded for it,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
NATO Rep hails EU’s decision on Georgia, emphasizes need to continue reforms
Javier Colomina, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of NATO in the Caucasus and Central Asia, described the granting of candidate status to Georgia as a ‘historic moment’.
“The decision by the European Union is a historical decision for Georgia, but it is also a decision that should help the international community to continue to support Georgia,” Colomina said at the press conference in Tbilisi.
He expressed the expectation that Georgia will fulfil the nine recommendations of the European Union, aligning with NATO’s requirements.
“I believe this moment should help the bilateral relationship between NATO and Georgia,” he added.
Colomina further acknowledged that while Georgia has implemented some important reforms, there is still room for improvement, specifically mentioning areas such as security services, the judicial system, depolarization, and de-oligarchization. He emphasized the need for continued efforts to address the remaining challenges.
The NATO Representative emphasized the significance of fair and competitive elections as a vital component of democracy, and highlighted the shared responsibility of both the government and the opposition in ensuring the democratic process. Colomina expressed expectations for the year 2024 to be crucial for Georgia, not only in terms of reforms, but also due to the scheduled elections.
Kobakhidze: Negotiations on EU Accension Will Start Next December
Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, this week said he expects the opening of negotiations on EU accession for Georgia in December 2024.
The GD Chair noted that the government is working on the fulfillment of the European Commission’s newly-defined 9 steps.
“Ukraine and Moldova were granted candidate status in June last year, and negotiations opened in a year and a half for these countries. In our case, we believe negotiations will open much earlier based on the information from our European partners,” Kobakhidze said during an interview on the Tavisufali Khedva (Free Vision) Program of TV Channel 1.
“The discussion on this issue is scheduled for December at the level of the European Commission and European Council, which means one year after granting the status. Work is in progress and we hope negotiations on accession will open in one year.”
By Team GT
