Jessica Rosencrantz, the Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, says she welcomes the European aspirations of the Georgian people.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the EU General Affairs Council meeting, Rosencrantz stressed that Georgians “belong to the European family,” but noted that the government must demonstrate genuine commitment to the required reforms.

“The Swedish position for a long time has been that we welcome the Georgian people’s aspirations to join the EU, to become a member of the European family. But we equally see from the Georgian government side that there is no real ambition or interest in fulfilling its obligations, going down that path, or implementing the necessary reforms. Rather, we see that things are going in the wrong direction. This is not a process going forward,” Rosenkrantz said.

“My message to the Georgian people is clear – you belong in the European family, but the government needs to act on the reforms necessary,” she added.