Nikoloz Samkharadze: We can consider that the first step towards granting candidate status to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine has been taken - this is not a quick process

We can consider that the first step towards granting candidate status to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine has been taken - this is not a quick process, said Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, following the decision taken by the EU leaders at the Palace of Versailles in Paris.

He said the process has begun, though it may take several months or more before granting candidate status.

"The European Commission has been instructed to evaluate this application, so in the near future we should expect the European Commission to send a comprehensive questionnaire listing all the parameters, the government should answer these questions, then an evaluation document will be prepared, as a result of which the European Commission will make a recommendation as to which country should be given a positive recommendation, after which a decision will be made by the European Council, where all 27 states should agree. It is good that the process has started, however, it is not a quick process, it takes a very long time, at least a few months, however, it may take longer," Samkharadze said.

According to him, in this process, the main thing that the EU and the European Commission will assess will be how much the country is close to European standards, and in this context it will be important to implement reforms. As for the opposition's call to return to the Charles Michel Agreement, Samkharadze explains that the Charles Michel Agreement was not just about reforms, and that there were only two points on the reforms.

"The rest was about other issues, such as the 43 percent threshold in the local elections, the release of specific individuals. As for the reforms, the electoral reform was implemented last year, the second was the judicial reform, in connection with which the process will continue. You know that a working group has been set up, within which the parties should present their assessments and visions, then the parliament should adopt the legislative package by the end of this spring session. Hopefully, we will reach the end of the spring session peacefully," Samkharadze said.

According to him, the main document in relations with the EU remains the Association Agreement and its agenda, as well as the action plan, which is expected to be adopted.

"We will follow this plan if in the meantime we receive a recommendation from the European Commission to get candidate status, a new document will be developed and we will continue working on it. The main task now is to continue the reforms," ​​Samkharadze said.

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