Pawel Herczynski - There is no inconsistency between Victory Day and Europe Day - as for accession, if the Georgian government is seriously considering it, they should go through the same procedures as everyone else - there is no shortcut

There is no inconsistency between Victory Day and Europe Day, - the EU Ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, told journalists at an event dedicated to Europe Day.

He answered a question about Victory Day.

“As everyone knows, the European Union was built on the ruins of World War II. We deeply respect all those who sacrificed their lives for this victory, and that is why the European Union was created. The history of the European Union is the best proof that this is the most successful peace project in the history of Europe,” - said Pawel Herczynski.

He expressed hope that Georgia will not miss the opportunity to join the European Union.

“We have shared this opportunity to join the European Union with Georgia. Once again, I sincerely hope that this historic opportunity will not be lost,” - the ambassador noted.

He also said that Georgia should go through procedures similar to other candidate countries for EU membership.

“The European Union made a unanimous decision in December 2023 to open the possibility of Georgia joining the EU. This is based on the will of the Georgian government. Before that, we received a letter from Georgia about its application for EU membership. This was a sovereign decision of the Georgian government. Membership is based on strict rules, which we apply equally to all candidates. There is no shortcut. If the Georgian government is seriously considering membership, then they should go through exactly the same steps and procedures as everyone else,” said Pawel Herczynski.