The European Commission rejected our request to begin negotiations on EU accession; later, in June 2024, the European Commission even decided to suspend political dialogue with Georgia — Irakli Kobakhidze

Georgia’s role for Europe could be extremely significant. This role is important today, and its significance may grow even further in the future. This was stated by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, while speaking at a discussion held at the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin, which focused on the theme of Georgia’s role in the European architecture.

The Head of Government spoke about the strategic importance of the ties between Georgia and Europe, noting that Georgia is firmly committed to deepening cooperation with various European countries and the European Union. “As you are well aware, we face certain specific challenges in this regard. In March 2022, Georgia submitted an application for EU candidate status; however, in June 2022, a negative decision was reached regarding our application. Subsequently, Georgia did receive EU candidate status; yet, the European Commission later rejected our request to begin accession negotiations. Furthermore, the European Commission even decided to suspend political dialogue with Georgia—a development that took place in June 2024. To put it mildly, the current state of our relations is not sufficiently positive. We are very keen to see this situation change. That said, I must reiterate that it is of the utmost importance for cooperation between the two sides to be grounded in shared values,” the Prime Minister stated.