Georgia is no longer among the countries moving toward EU membership. EU Ambassador to Georgia Pavel Gerchinsky stated this while speaking at an event marking Europe Day in Batumi.

The diplomat recalled that the EU has been Georgia's partner for over three decades and has not changed its attitude toward the country. At the same time, he emphasized, the EU's own rules remain unchanged: the path to membership is only possible through adherence to democratic principles.

Gerchinsky called Batumi "the pearl of the Black Sea" and a city where different cultures, traditions, and life experiences intertwine. According to him, it is diversity and adherence to common rules that have formed the foundation of European peace and development for nearly 80 years.

Speaking about the EU's enlargement, the ambassador noted that the union continues to accept countries that share its values.

"Unfortunately, Georgia is not among them." "We haven't lost hope that this is temporary," he lamented.

According to the diplomat, EU support has remained unchanged for over 30 years, but the conditions for progress toward membership also remain the same: the process "is based on democratic development."

The statement by the head of the EU diplomatic mission comes amid a continuing cooling of relations between Tbilisi and Western institutions. The day before, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze sharply criticized the "Hague Declaration" adopted by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which criticizes the situation with democracy and human rights in the country. Before the vote on the document, the Georgian delegation demonstratively walked out of the meeting. The head of government stated that the text of the resolution, adopted despite the demarche, "doesn't even deserve an assessment."