24 Jun, 2022
First of all, I would like to thank the leaders of the European Union for showing a united front during this difficult time for the region, and for the unanimous recognition of a European perspective for Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
I congratulate Ukraine and Moldova on being granted EU candidate status. It is significant that the European Union sent them such a strong sign of solidarity against the backdrop of Russian aggression.
I would also like to highlight the formulation of a roadmap for automatic candidacy for Georgia by the European Council. Those who have worked on the issue of Georgia’s EU integration over the years are well aware of what this decision means politically, historically, and practically for Georgia’s future accession to the European Union.
“Sometimes, it is difficult to notice history when it is being made” – this is how the European Commission assessed yesterday’s truly historic decision regarding Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova. Indeed, the new history of the European Union and our country is being made before our eyes. The only thing we need to do now is to view this history correctly.
Yesterday’s decision of the European Council truly was historic:
The Council recognized the European perspective of all three countries, that is, the European Union promised all three countries that they will become members of the European Union, though all three countries will have to go through a long process of reforms and institutional approximation with the European Union.
With all three countries, the Council used the clause of conditionality, imposing almost identical conditions on all three countries – in the case of Georgia, as a condition for obtaining the status, and in the case of Ukraine and Moldova, as a condition for maintaining the status. Accordingly, it is the goal of all three countries to fulfil these conditions in order for candidate status to be unconditional.
It is significant that the unity of the Georgian political spectrum during this historic moment is of paramount importance to the EU decision.
Unfortunately, the radicalism that afflicts a part of the Georgian opposition limits their ability to see this history and prevents us from uniting in the interests of the country.
How does Georgia react to this historic decision?
Today, the country is firmly on the path of peaceful development and democratic reform. The decision of the European Council and the recommendations of the European Commission directly acknowledge the great progress made by Georgia on its path to Europe in recent years.
What hinders us most of all from achieving our goal in the next six months and in the coming years is the same disconnectedness, radicalism, unsupportiveness, confrontation, and hopelessness.
Instead of all this, accord, mutual support, and faith in the future is the greatest patriotism and the most European course of action today. Today, Europeanness and patriotism are one and the same.
As the chairman of Parliament, I would like to emphasize once again that the Parliament is ready to work in response to the priorities set out in the recommendations of the European Commission.