“We have not extended any personal invitations, neither to the current authorities nor to the former authorities,” said Paweł Herczyński, EU Ambassador to Georgia, at ExpoGeorgia fairgrounds where Europe Day is celebrated at the initiative of the EU Delegation to Georgia.

The EU Ambassador was asked if the EU Delegation invited Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, ex-president Salome Zourabichvili or other politicians to the event.

“This is an open event. We have invited everyone. Probably you have seen a campaign in media, in social media, our posters. So I hope a lot of people will show up, will come to mark this Europe Day with us together with friends and with families. But you are right. We have not extended any personal invitations, neither to the current authorities nor to the former authorities.

I regret, but unfortunately, this is the reality of today that there are more and more events, important events, also concerning the enlargement of the European Union, where Georgia is absent. And this is due to the actions that have been taken over the last year by the Georgian authorities. This is extremely regrettable, but unfortunately, this is the reality of today’s EU-Georgia relationship.

As European Union, we are proud that over 75 years, we have guaranteed peace, stability, security, and prosperity to 27 member states and to nearly 500 million Europeans.

We have granted Georgia the status of a candidate country for EU membership in December 2023 based on expectations that this is a will, not only of the Georgian people, but also of the authorities for Georgia to become very quickly member of the European Union.

For this, as we have said loud and clear, Georgia has to go through important reforms. Those reforms have not been designed for Georgia. Those reforms need to be applied to every country that wants to become one of the EU member states. Since the moment of granting Georgia candidate status, unfortunately, we do not see any progress, any opening or willingness for Georgia to become as quickly as possible one of us.

On the contrary, and this is what we have been saying all along, and many of you remember my words over the last year, the actions, the decisions, the legislation that has been taken by Georgian authorities over the last year, instead of bringing Georgia closer to membership in the European Union is drifting Georgia away from the European Union. And you have consequences. And as an EU ambassador in Georgia, it is heartbreaking for me to see. That yesterday there was a very important meeting of EU foreign ministers with EU candidate countries without the participation of Georgia,” he said.