Foreign Minister: European Integration Remains Georgia's Unshakeable and Firm Choice

On March 3, a week after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, Georgia and Moldova joined Ukraine in applying for fast-track EU membership. Although, the road to joining the EU is a long and tedious one with several processes spanning years of social, legal and economic reforms, the so-called Associate Trio believes that the time is now hence their well-timed application. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Davit Zalkaliani talked to us at Diplomat Magazine about this historic event and he shared some perspectives to Georgia's EU membership application.

Georgia was planning to apply for the European Union membership in 2024, what prompted you to fast-track this application today?

First of all, I congratulate the citizens of Georgia on this truly historic decision, through which our country has embarked on new path of development and took another important step in terms of European integration via this application. You are right, Georgia was planning to apply in 2024, but today we are in a completely new environment and situation.

We have seen that the free choice of the sovereign states - Ukraine, Georgia- to be members of a Western civilization, a Western family, is facing constant threats. Both countries have made significant sacrifices for this up till this point. Ukraine is currently enmeshed in battle, and Georgia in 2008 have had to defend European security and European civilization at the cost of the lives of its own people.

Hence this is the moment for European countries,and the EU to accept our applications as this is the only right decision. On our part, Georgia’s application for EU candidate status is a clear signal to the international community that we are committed to the European choice. Georgia, was the first to experience open military aggression from Russia, and we have suffered the worst consequences of the war because of the choice that was once again announced today through an official statement. In recent years, we have proven through our consistent steps that we are a member of the European family and we have taken many effective steps in this direction, even with the reforms implemented and the political initiatives that have shown our community and partners that we remain strongly committed to the European course.

What are the procedures for joining the EU and the deadlinesthat Georgia must go through?

As for the procedures, of course, joining the EU is a difficult and long process, it is a scheduled procedure that has its requirements and deadlines. However, due to the complex,extraordinary and difficult situation that exists today in the world,specifically on the European continent, focusing on procedures (that I do not consider relevant) doesn’t sound good because events are changing dynamically and we do not know what approach the EU will take in this context. However, of course,there are established procedures which include for example a detailed and extensive questionnaire and the country is given some time to respond to the questionnaire. After receiving the completed questionnaire and based on the information received from the applicant country, the European Commission will issue its opinion on the readiness to grant candidate status to the country and to start membership negotiations. But, we repeat, from our perspective it is difficult to predict what approaches the EU will take when considering the applications of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.

What is the significance of Georgia’s membership application in the European Union considering current events?

To answer briefly - even the events that are taking place in Ukraine today proves the necessity for Georgia to join the European Union. If I have to say more, I think we should not ask a similar question about Georgia, because

Europe is a historical family of Georgia. We are not talking only about the material dimensions, but also about the worldview of the Georgian people which reflects European civilization, as our nation with its history is a state of European civilization. It is sacred that throughout the centuries of history, Georgia, as a gateway, defended European Christianity from the enemy, and even today, Georgia and our brother Ukraine stand and fight to defend Europe.

Georgia has been very committed to the path of EU integration and has been consistent in all its steps. Especially in recent years, since Georgia signed the Association Agreement with the European Union, our government and Georgian society have been doing their best to ensure European values are reflected in the daily life of the country – democracy, rule of law, human rights, good governance and more.

I am proud to be the part of the team that reached the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU in 2014. I am well aware of the responsibility that the Georgian government took then for the implementation of the agreement, because in the process of initialing, I have signed each of its pages. Yes, the transformation to European standards was and remains a rather difficult process, but, both in 2014 and now, it is our unshakable and firm choice.