
“Today, we made a decision not to place the issue of opening accession negotiations with the EU on the agenda until the end of 2028. We will also reject any budgetary grants from the EU until that time. By the end of 2028, Georgia will be economically ready to initiate negotiations for EU membership in 2030,” stated Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze during a briefing at the Georgian Dream office.
Kobakhidze elaborated on the reasoning for this decision:
“Georgia is a European country deeply rooted in traditional European values. As the oldest Christian nation, we have always regarded Europe as the primary bastion of Christianity. Our history is filled with figures like Ilia Chavchavadze and Vazha-Pshavela, who made European values the leitmotif of Georgian civic thought.
We bear a profound responsibility to our history and ancestors to ensure Georgia’s rightful place in the European family. Our national objective is to secure EU membership by 2030, and we will spare no effort in this pursuit.
It is essential to emphasize that relations between Georgia and the EU are inherently bilateral and can only be bilateral. We are a proud and dignified nation with a rich history. Thus, we find it unacceptable to view our integration into the EU as a favour to be granted.
We believe Georgia’s unique culture and potential can enrich the EU just as much as the EU can benefit Georgia.
Against this backdrop, it is categorically unacceptable for Georgian people that some European politicians and bureaucrats have attempted to frame Georgia-EU relations as a one-sided affair. The derogatory remarks we have encountered over the years are equally intolerable.
Our country’s ill-wishers have turned the European Parliament into a naked instrument of blackmail against Georgia, which is the greatest shame of the EU. Over the past 3 years, the European Parliament has adopted 5 resolutions full of lies and insults, which were not shared not only by the Georgian society but also by the European Commission and the European Council.
The entire Georgia witnessed interference by some European politicians and bureaucrats in parliamentary elections, which is a gross violation of democratic electoral principles. Today, these same individuals attack our legitimate electoral processes. Moreover, they question the OSCE/ODIHR’s assessment, which deemed our elections competitive, with the same fervour as radical opposition leaders in Georgia.
We also see that European politicians and bureaucrats use allocated grants and loans to blackmail Georgia.
Notably, there were attempts to withdraw a €75 million loan just weeks before the 2021 elections, an effort to illegitimately influence the outcome. Similar tactics were employed ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections, but the Georgian people’s choice remained unaffected. This practice of using financial aid to blackmail us is profoundly offensive and will never be acceptable to the proud Georgian people.
Recall how the candidate status was used as a form of blackmail to incite chaos in our country and divide society. In the midst of the Ukraine conflict, when peace was paramount for Georgia, some European figures sought to provoke unrest using candidate status.
Organizations directly funded by the EU were openly involved in this revolution attempt. For nearly two years, the theme of candidate status was weaponized to fuel radicalism and so-called polarization in Georgia, reflecting an unhealthy attitude toward our nation.
Now, we see that these people have replaced the candidate status with opening accession talks. Today, opening negotiations is used exactly the same way as an instrument to blackmail our country and divide society, as the candidate status was used before. This is also a completely artificial phenomenon, especially since the date of opening negotiations is not at all dependent on the accession date.
The critical question is not when we start negotiations but when we conclude them. Georgia began its negotiations for the Association Agreement, free trade agreement, and visa-free regime later than Ukraine and Moldova, yet achieved success earlier or simultaneously with both. Montenegro and Serbia opened their negotiations in 2012 and 2014, respectively, but this did not expedite their European integration at all. Turkey had talks that the EU commenced in 2005 but had completely suspended in 2016.
Technically, it takes only about a year and a half to two years from opening negotiations to achieve EU membership, and no expansions to the East are anticipated by 2030. This demonstrates the artificiality and offensiveness of the blackmail tactics employed by certain European politicians and bureaucrats regarding the negotiation process for Georgia.
Moreover, against this backdrop, Georgia is not asked for reforms, but only for steps that mean renouncing dignity. These are repealing the law on NGO transparency, repealing the law against LGBT propaganda, imposing sanctions, deliberately dismantling Georgia’s economy, releasing Mikheil Saakashvili, and so on.
We intend to pursue our path toward the EU with dignity. This reflects the mandate of Georgian society, represented by the more than 1,120,000 voters who have placed their trust in the Georgian Dream and its vision.
Considering all of the above, today we decided not to put the issue of opening negotiations with the EU on the agenda until the end of 2028. We also refuse any budgetary grants from the EU until the end of 2028. By the end of 2028, we will be adequately economically prepared to begin negotiations for EU membership in 2030. We are not stopping and will continue to meet our commitments outlined in the Association Agenda and Free Trade Agreement, and as specified in our government program, we aim to fulfil over 90 per cent of these obligations by 2028, entirely through our own funding, without EU assistance. Our goal is to join the EU not through begging but through dignity, with a robust democracy and strong economy.
We will continue moving towards the EU, yet we will not accept a state of permanent manipulation or blackmail, which is deeply offensive to our nation and people. We believe today’s decision will significantly contribute to improving relations between Georgia and the EU.
We must convey to European politicians and bureaucrats lacking in European values that they must engage with Georgia respectfully, not through blackmail or insults. Using the topic of negotiations to divide society and manipulate is detrimental to the EU’s reputation in Georgia. Our decision today will prevent the EU from this reputational damage in the future.
In conclusion, we want to boldly reiterate that by 2030, Georgia will be more prepared for EU membership than any other candidate country. Georgia will become an EU member state only through peace, dignity, and prosperity. This is a promise we intend to fulfil for the Georgian people,” concluded Irakli Kobakhidze.
By - Svetlana Alimova