TBILISI, September 8. /TASS/. Georgia still has to fulfill 9 our of 12 preconditions in order to obtain a EU membership candidate status, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said during a press conference in Tbilisi.
Speaking during the press conference, he pointed out that the European Commission presented 12 priorities, 3 of which Georgia has fulfilled and 9 still remain. He pointed out that all nine preconditions are important and necessary for Georgia; he noted that there is still work to be done, but added that there is still time for that.
According to Borrell, Tbilisi must, in particular, carry out reforms in areas of supremacy of law, human rights and freedom of media.
The High Representative underscored that the European Commission will publish a report on expansion this fall, in which it will assess the progress made by various nations on implementation of reforms on their path towards accession to the EU.
He noted that, in the upcoming report, the European Commission will provide recommendations for each country in order to make a progress towards the EU membership. The final decision on assignment of the membership candidate status or beginning of accession negotiations will be made by the end of this year.
Borrell stated his certainty that Georgia will be able to implement all criteria and achieve success.
In June, 2022, EU leaders assigned membership candidate status to Moldova and Ukraine. They recognized Georgia’s European perspective and stated their readiness to provide it a EU membership candidate status after 12 conditions are fulfilled. By this moment, Georgia carried out an electoral reform, established an anti-corruption bureau, elected an ombudsman under a new system, amended laws against gender discrimination and on combating organized crime, appointed three out of five members of the Supreme Justice Council. In late 2023, Georgia expects another EU resolution on assignment of the candidate membership status.