PM Kobakhidze: Georgia remains EU’s sole viable link to East amid deepening European gridlock

“The European Union’s share of the global economy stood at 30 per cent in 2008 and has now shrunk to approximately 17.5 per cent. This is the direct consequence of a loss of sovereignty,” declared the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, during a briefing at the Government Administration.

According to the Head of Government, Europe faces severe challenges regarding eastern connectivity, exacerbated by the ongoing Middle East crisis and the loss of access to cheap Russian resources.

“The EU bureaucracy has descended into absurdity. Everyone is well aware of Georgia’s role in connectivity. Georgia connects seven landlocked nations to the Black Sea and, consequently, to the Western sphere. Therefore, Georgia’s role in this regard is naturally pivotal. Yet, you are aware of the absurd decisions they have previously made. For example, a ministerial-level meeting was convened involving seven invited nations, yet Georgia was excluded, despite being the vital link connecting those countries to the Black Sea. When you descend into such absurdity, it means you are no longer making independent decisions. I frequently point out that the European bureaucracy is managed entirely by external influences rather than in accordance with its own sovereign interests.

The indicators we are discussing are the direct result of this. The EU’s share of the global economy was 30 per cent in 2008 and has today dwindled to roughly 17.5 per cent. This is precisely the outcome of a loss of sovereignty, and such nonsensical decisions only guarantee that the EU’s global economic share will, regrettably, shrink even further. Europe faces profound connectivity problems with the East now that Russia is closed off and access to cheap Russian resources is gone. Furthermore, against the backdrop of the Middle East crisis, a severe gridlock has emerged in these corridors.

Georgia remains the only effective route for the European Union to maintain close ties eastward, including trade and economic perspectives. When you struggle to recognise your own objective interests at such a critical juncture, it serves as further proof that you are acting not out of sovereign interest, but in line with the interests of external forces,” the Prime Minister stated.