We are getting ready for a new enlargement. At the moment, we have ten candidate countries. Some of them are ready to move very fast. Others want to move slower. The others, who have some doubts and hesitations, it is for you to decide if you want to be part of the next enlargement or not,  said EU Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński.

The EU ambassador declared that Georgia is a fully independent, sovereign and democratic country, and its future is entirely up to the country itself.

“I’m really proud and really happy, and I’m saying this as EU Ambassador to Georgia, that the European Union has opened its door to welcome Georgia as a full member of the European Union. It has been a historic decision. Now, the choice is here in Georgia and I sincerely hope that European direction will remain. That Georgian political class, in spite of elections, will devote enough time and effort to make progress on nine steps. So that we can move forward, don’t waste time, and move to the next step opening accession negotiations. EU leaders have taken a courageous decision to open the doors to new member states.

The last enlargement happened 20 years ago. We are getting ready for a new enlargement. At the moment, we have ten candidate countries. Some of them are ready to move very fast. Others want to move slower. The others, who have some doubts and hesitations, it is for you to decide if you want to be part of the next enlargement or not. I sincerely hope, as expressed by the vast majority of Georgia’s population. that Georgia again will be a front-runner, and Georgia will be part of the next enlargement. In order to make this happen reforms are absolutely necessary. The roadmap is clear, the nine steps. We sincerely hope that time will be not wasted, and enough progress will be made in the coming weeks in order for the European Commission to give a positive recommendation to member states, and in order for our member states To decide to move to the next stage with Georgia and open accession negotiations in December. But again, it is in the hands of Georgian political elites. I sincerely hope that elections will not distract from the necessity of introducing reforms and moving forward towards EU membership,” he stated.