“I believe that Georgia will become a fully-fledged member of the Great European family and Georgia will enter Europe with its own traditions,” stated Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, when delivering a keynote speech at the Opening Ceremony of Europe Day.
He noted the authorities have done a lot throughout the past 10 years to further approximate Georgia with Europe.
“I welcome the EU Ambassador H.E. Pawel Herczynski, Ambassadors of the EU Member States, Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Mayor of Tbilisi and distinguished guests. I wish to express my sincere excitement for the knowledge of Georgian language by the EU Ambassador. Once again, I wish to thank him for addressing the audience in the Georgian language.
“Dear Friends, we – Georgians and Europeans – are celebrating Europe Day together, as this day is for Europe and Europeans, as well as for Georgians. We historically believed to be part of Europe. Thus, it is our declared goal to become a fully-fledged member of the great European family. You are well aware that our authorities did a lot towards this end in the past 10 years to make sure that our country got further approximated with Europe. I once again wish to remind everyone that it is great merits to our authorities that the EU-Georgia Association Agreement (AA) was concluded along with a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), Visa-Free Travel Arrangement was granted with European Perspective. Of course, we understand it very well and have conceptualized that it requires more work to be done and further reforms to be implemented to make sure that country receives a status of an EU Candidate Country and to get closer to Europe,” stated the PM.
When referring to the status of an EU Candidate Country, Garibashvili noted that it is a symbolic act, but a vital decision.
“I believe that our European friends and EU Member States will take the only right, political decision to grant a status of an EU Candidate Country to Georgia and Georgian people, as our country and people, our government and authorities deserve the status of an EU Candidate Country. Of course, we understand it well that it is a symbolic act, but a vital decision.
“Thus, once again, I wish to declare full readiness of our authorities to continue the reforms, which is primarily essential for our country and people and in the second instance for our approximation with our European friends and society.
“We are bonded with Europe and European people with a lot of common values. First of all, I wish to say that these values are based on our Georgian identity and Christian values and modern Europe is founded on them.
“Hence, Dear Friends, Dear Ambassadors, Distinguished Guests, I believe that Georgia will become a fully-fledged member of the great European family and Georgia will enter Europe with its own traditions. Thank you! I wish peace to Europe, while stability and prosperity to our nations,” he concluded.