“We have been in the process of association with the European Union for 10 years now, which included taking important steps towards economic integration together with political association with the EU,” said Maka Botchorishvili, Chairperson of the parliamentary European Integration Committee, in Brussels, at the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance in the EU.

According to Maka Botchorishvili, the EU’s enlargement policy should focus more on promoting practical opportunities for economic development and integration that are mutually beneficial for the EU and partner countries.

Here is Maka Botchorishvili’s speech as delivered:

“Dear Colleagues, I thank the Belgian EU Presidency for organizing these very important and interesting discussions in the European Parliament. Georgia was granted EU membership candidate status last December and has the ambition of being one of the successful examples within the EU enlargement policy.

We have been in the process of association with the European Union for 10 years now, which included taking important steps towards economic integration together with political association with the EU. Over the past decade, we achieved significant progress in advancing key structural reforms, including those related to strengthening governance, improving public financial management, fighting corruption, promoting competition, improving energy security, and increasing connectivity and transit potential.

Despite significant challenges in the region and geopolitical tensions, promising trends were observed in Georgia’s economic development in recent years, due to the successful implementation of economic policy reforms. Of course, there are still many challenges to be addressed including further reduction of external vulnerabilities, improving the functioning of the labor market, and addressing structural weaknesses.

Georgia is committed to strengthening its role as the EU’s reliable energy transit partner, supplier of green energy, and a key actor in the transport axis. Our strategic location, effective governance, and attractive investment climate should be better exploited by the European Union to fully utilize the new geopolitical opportunities that Georgia offers.

At the same time, the European Union’s enlargement policy should focus more on promoting practical opportunities for economic development and integration that are mutually beneficial for the EU and partner countries,” she said.