FM Botchorishvili: Georgia and EU must learn to be one family, engage in serious dialogue

“The European Union embodies our aspirations to align with Western nations and to become part of both the EU and NATO. We have a history of strong cooperation with both NATO and the European Union,” Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili remarked during a panel discussion at the international conference “Raisina Dialogue 2025” in New Delhi.

According to her, Georgia contributed to NATO’s peacekeeping projects and has been an associated partner of the European Union since 2014.

“The European Union embodies our aspirations to align with Western nations and to become part of both the EU and NATO. We have a history of strong cooperation with both NATO and the European Union. Georgia contributed to peacekeeping projects that were implemented, for example, in Afghanistan. There, as a non-NATO member state, we were the number one contributor.

Since 2014, we have been an associated partner of the European Union, we have a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, which means the possibility of integration into the European market. Ten years have passed and it’s quite an intensive process. I should note that Georgia has managed to become a leader compared to other EU partners, we have achieved a lot in terms of reforms, which is also beneficial for us and helps us to be in leading positions when it comes to various rankings, for example in the field of fighting corruption or open governance and business. All this is related to a very structured reform agenda that we have been implementing over these years,” said Maka Botchorishvili.

According to the Minister, the European Union remains an important partner for Georgia.

“The European Union remains a vital partner for us. It is the only entity represented in Georgia, and we regard this as a security guarantee. The European Union Monitoring Mission along the occupation line is crucial to our stability. In 2023, we became a candidate state for EU membership—an objective enshrined in our constitution. Notably, it was our government that decided to include this article in the constitution in 2018. This remains the primary goal of our foreign policy.

However, we must recognize that both Georgia and the European Union need to learn how to achieve this goal, as these are challenging times for both. We face numerous foreign influences, but we are successfully managing them. I am confident we will continue to engage in meaningful dialogue on significant issues.

When discussing the European Union, it is important to acknowledge that Georgia and this region are new to Europe. We see ourselves as Europeans; our country is part of Europe, yet we lack a history of integration within European structures. Similarly, the European Union recognizes us as Europeans, but they lack the experience of living with us as one family. This is precisely what we need to learn together. The complexities of our region are evident on any map, underscoring the need for a serious dialogue on Georgia’s path to EU membership,” stated Maka Botchorishvili.