We are serious about enlarging. We are serious about inviting new members states. The leaders have tasked the European Commission to prepare the ground for a big enlargement, said EU Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński.

“I just came back this morning from Brussels. Yesterday and today, we had another European Council, a meeting of 27 EU leaders. Very heavy agenda. They discussed many important issues. They also discussed enlargement. What is very important to note is that our internal homework within the European Union continues. We are serious about enlarging. We are serious about inviting new members states. The leaders have tasked the European Commission to prepare the ground for a big enlargement. So, the work continues,” the EU Ambassador stated.

As the EU ambassador noted, EU leaders call on all countries that want to join the EU to speed up their preparations. According to him, the leaders called on Georgia to strengthen its efforts in the direction of reforms, to implement nine steps.

“On the other hand, we are also encouraging all countries that want to join the European Union to accelerate preparations. Very good news for Ukraine and Moldova. Excellent news for Bosnia and Herzegovina because the leaders have just decided to open accession negotiations. Words of encouragement to Georgia. The leaders have encouraged Georgia to step up efforts to reform, to implement nine steps. There is still time, and I sincerely hope that enough progress will be made in order for Georgia also to move to the next stage, which is the opening of accession negotiations. But this requires serious work. This is what I have been sharing with you since day one. Time is running, and progress needs to be made. The roadmap is very clear – nine steps. We need to sit down together, and to make sure that time is not wasted and that within the next few months, we will have enough progress so that we can move to the next stage.

European Union leaders today have decided to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Hercegovina. I think that as the EU Ambassador, I’m really happy that Bosnia and Herzegovina made enough progress, especially in the last couple of months, for the leaders to give a positive signal to that country. I sincerely hope that also in case of Georgia, we will have positive news, that the time until the next big European Council focusing on enlargement in December, we’ll be fully used by everyone in Georgia in order to make enough progress, so that also with Georgia, we will have an opening of accession negotiations.

In November last year, the European Commission gave a positive recommendation to grant Georgia candidate status together with so-called nine steps. If you ask me what needs to be done for Georgia to move to the next stage, to move to the opening of accession negotiations, please look at the nine steps. It’s only one page. It’s stated very clearly, black and white, what needs to be done and what we expect. All of the steps are important,” Paweł Herczyński declared.