The European Commission’s historic recommendation to grant Georgia a candidate status acknowledges Georgia’s progress in the fight against corruption, said Pawel Herczynski, EU Ambassador to Georgia in his video address on the occasion of Anti-Corruption Day.

“Today marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the world’s first and only legally binding anti-corruption instrument. Corruption affects all countries. It undermines democratic institutions and the rule of law, slows economic development and contributes to instability.

Celebrating Anti-Corruption Day is a reminder of these challenges and the efforts undertaken to address them. Georgia is part of this endeavour.

The European Commission’s historic recommendation to grant Georgia candidate status acknowledges Georgia’s progress in the fight against corruption. Establishing an Anti-Corruption Bureau and developing a de-oligarchization action plan is part of the way forward. But more remains to be done.

Strengthening the fight against corruption is a crucial component of the European Union enlargement process and one of the nine steps of Georgia’s path to EU membership. The European Union stands side by side with Georgia to ensure that the rule of law principles and standards are respected and complied with.

Let’s continue to stand together against corruption,” he said