During a visit to Georgia, Chancellor Karl Nehammer assured that the country had his support to move closer to the EU. The process is not easy, “but it is worth stepping up your efforts,” Nehammer said during a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili in Tbilisi. At the same time, Nehammer showed understanding for the cautious course of the Georgian government towards Russia.
Tbilisi has condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine, but does not participate in Western sanctions against Russia. Georgia is in a special geopolitical situation: “Georgian territory is occupied, Russian soldiers are in the country, which means that the politics are different,” the chancellor said in a joint press statement. Still, he is happy that the country supports the financial sanctions against Russia. “Politics is the art of the possible. The Georgian government is moving along this corridor,” Nehammer said.
The war in Ukraine is a particular challenge for Georgia, Garibashvili said. With 20 percent of Georgia’s territory occupied by Russia, the government is following a “reasonable policy” to keep the peace. The Georgian head of government thanked Nehammer for helping Georgia move closer to the EU. Georgia already largely meets the twelve conditions set by the EU. According to Garibaschvili, the opposition must also contribute to meeting the demands to end political polarization.
No EU candidate status for Georgia yet
The former Soviet republic has been trying for years to get closer to the EU, but unlike Ukraine and Moldova, the country on the Black Sea was not granted candidate status last summer. The reasons for this are the decline of democracy and the rule of law criticized by the EU and the strong polarization in the country.
Nehammer against “shortcuts” for candidate countries
The governing “Georgian Dream” party, still dominated by ex-prime minister and oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, and the opposition, led by the United National Movement (UNM), are adamantly opposed. Nehammer stressed that the process shows that the same conditions should apply to all candidate countries. “There should be no shortcuts”.
After meeting Garibashvili, Nehammer visited the dividing line to the breakaway region of South Ossetia, which, like the Georgian region of Abkhazia, has been occupied by Russia since a short war in 2008.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
