“I want to encourage Georgian authorities, both the ruling team and opposition, the institutions and civil society, to try to obtain the common wisdom to advance with the necessary reforms. Because Georgia’s place is really within the EU family,” Titus Corlatean, rapporteur on Georgia at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) told the Georgian Public Broadcaster.

While debating the Western Balkans and EU expansion, he emphasized the need for EU enlargement.

“I made a specific reference not only to the Central Eastern European countries, which are now members of the EU but also to eastern partners of the EU, that are Ukraine and Moldova. And I said specifically from my political point of view and based on a geopolitical vision, I hope Georgia will obtain the status of the candidate before the end of this year,” the rapporteur stated.

He went on to emphasize that EU membership is based on effort, reforms, and criteria, just as it has been for all past aspirants who are now member states, including Romania. Titus Corlatean also stated that Georgia has been urged to continue implementing a specific number of reforms at the European Union level, which is quite similar to the agenda of the Council of Europe. They fundamentally have more or less the same political requirements, which implies authentic, healthy democracy and less divisiveness, which harms the interests of the Georgian state, he said.

“Also, it is based on public support. The support of Georgia people in European and Euro-Atlantic directions was all the time very impressive. I want to encourage Georgian authorities, both power and the opposition, the institutions and civil society, to try to obtain the common wisdom to advance with the necessary reforms, because the place of Georgia is really within the EU family. Georgia is a European state,” Titus Corlatean said.