Salome Zourabichvili: We are no longer among the four countries for which the roadmap is being prepared; everything regarding the EU has stalled and frozen – the fact that ambassadors are attending the grape harvest in Tsinandali does not change the reality

It is regrettable that we are no longer among the four countries for which the roadmap is being prepared. Today, everything concerning the EU has stalled and frozen. The fact that local ambassadors are attending the grape harvest in Tsinandali does not change this reality in any way—this was stated by the fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, during a Facebook Live regarding the European Commission's adoption of documents preparing for enlargement.

According to Zourabichvili, Georgia has not lost the chance to return to the path toward the EU, as the issue of EU enlargement remains relevant and the EU's policy toward Georgia has not changed.

The fifth President believes that the country will not lose its candidate status either.

“It is very important that the issue of Georgia is being discussed in the European Parliament again today, and this will not be the last time. We heard Marta Kos state that another discussion will take place at the end of the month and that a Commission report on Georgia is being prepared. Furthermore, the issue of Georgia will be discussed at the meeting of state leaders at the end of the year.

Therefore, the notion that we are being forgotten or that there is insufficient attention paid to Georgia is incorrect. One of the issues facing our European partners is that they lack a wide range of leverage in this situation—precisely because they do not employ the same types of leverage that Russia uses. Their available tools are limited to measures such as sanctions, the suspension of economic aid, or the termination of programs.

We see that Europeans have a vision not only regarding Georgia but also regarding the future. Discussions are currently underway concerning the nature of the next enlargement. It is regrettable that we are no longer among the four countries for which a roadmap is being prepared; however, it is also highly significant that the topic of enlargement is so relevant and imminent—which implies that if we manage to put our country back on the right path, our place there will be secured.

As it stands today, however, everything is at a standstill; yet, I do not believe we will be stripped of our candidate status. Everything is frozen. The fact that ambassadors here might go to Tsinandali for the grape harvest changes nothing about this reality.

On one hand, this frozen state is deeply regrettable for us, reflecting the situation the government has led us into; on the other, it demonstrates that the EU’s policy toward us remains unchanged. It does not accept this rhetoric, this new direction, or Georgia’s pivot toward Russia. It is waiting for Georgia to return to its true path.

I have stated repeatedly that I oppose sanctions affecting the general public—such as the suspension of visa-free travel—because that link represents our connection to Europe, and severing it would serve only Russia’s interests; that is why I am against it. As for individual sanctions, that is a matter for them to decide," stated Salome Zourabichvili.