European Parliament President Roberta Metsola thanked Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili for her “personal commitment in supporting the European calling of the Georgian society.”

In her introductory remarks, Metsola went on to say that “The European Union stands ready to assist Georgia on its European path, providing all the necessary assistance along this transformative journey. It is up to Georgia to walk that path and to choose its own future.”

EP President commended Zourabichvili for “the strength with which you lead your country. We further count on you to help ease the political and societal polarization in Georgia.”

“We want the right conditions to exist to enable an EU future for Georgian citizens. I want to reiterate that we stand by your side, ready to support you in your journey to become an integral part of the European Union. We need to work more and closer together towards granting the EU candidate status to Georgia, ensuring that the Georgian people do not miss a historic opportunity. For this, we need to see tangible movement on a number of milestones, in securing democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and ensuring media freedom and protecting journalists, and safeguarding fundamental rights and personal dignity for detainees. And here, let me reiterate that this house has expressed its concern over the situation of Mikheil Saakashvili.

Let us keep working together to safeguard the right of our European peoples and the future of our societies,” she stated.