Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili stated that starting EU accession negotiations is not the responsibility of the Georgian authorities, but the responsibility of the European Union itself, and accusations against the Georgian authorities on this issue are absurd, the Georgian service of the Sputnik news agency reports, citing the Georgian Foreign Minister.
“Starting Georgia’s EU accession negotiations is the responsibility of the European Union, not Georgia. Therefore, accusing Georgia of suspending the accession process is absurd. The EU has all the tools necessary for Georgia’s expansion and membership,” Bochorishvili stated.
According to the Georgian Foreign Minister, the EU’s use of suspended cooperation programs as a punitive instrument is a sad reality for Georgia.
Georgia is a candidate country for membership in the European Union. Tbilisi received its status in December 2023, having previously signed an Association Agreement with Brussels. Since 2017, citizens have enjoyed visa-free travel. Nine more conditions were announced to continue Georgia’s integration process. These include overcoming polarization, eliminating oligarchization, ensuring free and competitive elections, and others.