Georgian President believes Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia will join EU at the same time

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili believes that Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia will join the European Union at the same time.

Source: Georgia Online, citing Salome Zourabichvili in an interview with LCI, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The interviewer suggested that Georgia might join the EU at a later date than Ukraine, but Zourabichvili said the two countries will join the EU at the same time.

"No, I think it will happen at the same time.  I don’t know whether this will happen in 2030, 2031 or 2029, but that’s the next so-called ‘big bang’, with the next batch of new members joining around the same time. There are three of us – Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia; this has been set in writing," Zourabichvili said.

She added that European Council President Charles Michel’s comment about the year 2030 being the potential timeframe for the EU’s enlargement was "very interesting".

"The gradual association of the candidate countries with the EU thematically, on the issues they are ready for – such as transport for Georgia, transport and infrastructure issues in the Black Sea – is very interesting for us; of course, without the right to vote, but this preliminary association will better prepare the candidates for what awaits them when the time comes," Zourabichvili said.

Background:

• On 8 November, the European Commission recommended granting Georgia candidate status.
• In the months leading up to the release of the European Commission’s recommendations, the media reported that anonymous European officials were saying that there was a reasonably high likelihood that Georgia would be granted candidate status despite the fact that it has not fulfilled all the conditions, as it is the only way to prevent Tbilisi from falling into the Russian orbit.
• The Georgian authorities claim to have implemented at least 10 of the 12 reforms recommended by the European Commission. However, the European Commission’s assessment is markedly different: it has only recognised three key reforms as being completed.

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