Zurabishvili will regard Georgia's refusal to become a candidate for the EU as a victory for the Russian Federation
Georgia's refusal to grant candidate status for EU membership will mean its defeat and Russia's victory. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili stated this in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She explained that depriving Georgia of its status would cause satisfaction among the Russian authorities, and disappointment among Georgians.
In turn, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili published an appeal to the President of the European Council Charles Michel. “Georgia demonstrates a strong commitment to becoming an EU member state. The far-reaching Association Agreement with a deep and comprehensive free trade area, a visa-free regime, a strong security partnership, strengthened trade relations and increased cooperation in various fields are the most striking examples of our ever-growing partnership with the EU and its institutions,” the document says .
In March 2022, Georgia applied for candidate status to join the European Union. In June of the same year, her request was approved subject to the fulfillment of 12 points. Among them are respect for human rights, de-oligarchization, constructive relations between the authorities and the opposition, etc. The final decision must be made by EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on December 14-15.
