Russia’s neighbor Georgia is currently working towards EU candidate status. Foreign Minister Baerbock has now assured the country of support.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has promised Georgia German support in the EU accession process, also in the face of Russian attempts to exert influence, and has called for further reforms. “The door to EU candidate status is wide open. Now it’s time to take the remaining twelve steps,” said the Green politician on Friday after talks with her colleague Ilia Darchiashvili in Tbilisi, the capital of the former Soviet republic. “Our hand is stretched out wide.”
Baerbock particularly emphasized Georgia’s approval of the UN resolutions condemning Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The rule of law, democratic standards and freedom of the media are essential for the accession process, she said. Most recently, there had been protests in Georgia against a law that critics say would have severely restricted the media and non-governmental organizations, as in Russia. Parliament eventually rejected the draft.
After the withdrawal, the government in Tbilisi now has the task of “overcoming polarization, regaining trust and taking the upcoming reform steps with all determination”. At the same time, Baerbock emphasized that there can be no shortcuts, especially with European values.
Georgia’s relationship with Russia has been strained for years
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine was also a subject of talks between Baerbock and her Georgian colleague. In the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Georgian government condemned Russia’s illegal actions, but has not yet endorsed Western sanctions. Baerbock said that by voting against Russia, Georgia showed which side it was on. However, it is also clear that a country that wants to become a member of the EU must support the common foreign and security policy of the federation of states.
Georgia’s relationship with Russia has been strained for years. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, parts of the country have been controlled by pro-Russian separatists supported by the Kremlin since the 1990s. The regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have declared their independence, although this is not recognized internationally. Since the end of the Russian Georgian war in 2008, the EU observer mission EUMM has been monitoring the so-called administrative line between the territories and the rest of Georgia. Baerbock wanted to visit the line in South Ossetia in the afternoon to get an idea.
Darchiashvili said Georgia’s relations with Russia were limited to necessary exchanges within international organizations, such as on humanitarian issues. In Georgian civil society, however, there is increasing criticism that the current government does not stand up for democracy and human rights.
Darchiashvili emphasizes intensive work on twelve criteria
According to the official translation, the Georgian President also said that it was “the unshakeable will of the Georgian people” to join the EU. The candidate status is “a node”. The government is working intensively to meet the twelve criteria set by the EU Commission, he assured.
In June 2022, the European Union made Ukraine and its small neighboring Republic of Moldova candidate countries in connection with the Russian attack on Ukraine. At that time, Georgia was promised this status as soon as certain reforms were completed.
Among the twelve priorities identified by the EU are the fight against political polarization, judicial reform, the establishment of an independent anti-corruption agency, freedom of the media and “de-oligarchisation”. In October, the EU Commission intends to present a report that will serve as the first basis for further decisions on closer rapprochement with the European Union.
