EU Ambassador says Georgian Gov’t “needs to act without delay” to advance on EU membership through reforms
In his remarks, Herczyński noted five months had passed since the European Commission “very clearly outlined” the reforms Georgia needed to implement for the purpose. Photo: EU Delegation to Georgia
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Paweł Herczyński, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Thursday said the European Union had “made clear” its “doors are open” for Georgia, but added the country’s Government needed to “act without delay” to advance towards membership by implementing necessary reforms.
In his remarks, Herczyński noted five months had passed since the European Commission “very clearly outlined” the reforms Georgia needed to implement for the purpose.
“In fact, we have already started drafting the next enlargement report on Georgia. We will take into account all the information provided by the Government, opposition, international partners and of course, civil society”, Herczyński said.
Ultimately, it is up to you, all Georgians, to decide which direction you want your country to go. I truly hope that the political leaders in Georgia will adopt and implement reforms that are in line with the stated objective of joining the European Union, which is supported by a large majority of Georgia’s citizens. And, we will, once again, have a reason to celebrate together as we did when Georgia was granted the candidate status”, he continued.
The Ambassador also reviewed the controversial reintroduction of the domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence. The draft law, retracted last year after public protests but now reintroduced by the ruling party, calls for registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.
The EU diplomat said “creating and maintaining an enabling environment for civil society organisations and ensuring media freedom” was “at the core of democracy and crucial” for the country’s EU accession process.
“Last week, we also saw the return of a draft law on transparency of foreign influence, which was ‘unconditionally withdrawn’ a year ago. The European Union was swift to react and expressed serious concerns about this draft legislation”, Herczyński noted.
He also said time was “running out” if Georgia wished to advance to the next stage of its European integration process this year.
Members of the European Union’s Political and Security Committee, who are on an official visit to Georgia, on Wednesday highlighted the importance for Georgia to “seize the moment” on its path of EU integration into the bloc.
Georgia’s integration into the European Union and the progress achieved by the country in this regard were discussed on Wednesday by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze with the delegation of the Political and Security Committee of the Council of the EU.
The security situation in Georgia and the wider region was discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and a visiting delegation of the Political and Security Committee of the Council of the European Union.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Monday said the door of the European Union had “never been so wide open”, adding it was up to each aspiring member country to “make the most of this opportunity to move forward”.