Parliamentary Opposition Addresses EU with a Joint Letter
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Parliamentary opposition and the party ‘Droa’ address the heads of EU structures. The letters are addressed to Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, and Joseph Borrell, High Representative of the European Union.
The letter from the parliamentary opposition expresses readiness that the opposition will take part in the implementation of all the reforms that will support Georgia's accession to the European Union. Opposition MPs are appealing to the European structures to positively consider the status of Georgia's candidate.
The letter reiterates that most of the population of Georgia supports the country's membership in the EU, which is the historical and cultural choice of our people. Joining the European family is an opportunity to uphold the rule of law, the principle of separation of powers, an independent judiciary, media freedom, and the universally recognized fundamental human rights.
Authors emphasize the importance of the Eastern Partnership program initiated by the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and Poland after the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, followed by the Association Agreement with the European Union, the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, and visa liberalization for Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
“Today, when Russia aggressively opposes Ukraine's sovereignty and the modern European security architecture, when the West is united against Russia's revisionist policies, Georgia is the only pro-Western country in the region, 20% of which is occupied and has no security guarantees. We believe that Russia's aggression against Ukraine is a continuation of the 2008 military aggression against Georgia.”
MPs argue that giving candidate status to the EU-affiliated trio of Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova will be a vital response for us at this critical time for Russia, which wants to divide the world into spheres of influence and distance the trio from the European future.
“We firmly believe that Russia's desire to return Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova to its orbit and limit our democracy and sovereignty will not be possible, and EU candidate status will give us hope, strength, and opportunity to fulfill the historic will of our nations to become full members of the European family.”
Consequently, despite the challenges on the road to reform and the withdrawal of the ruling party from the April 19 political agreement, the signatory parliamentary opposition MPs declare their readiness to take part in the implementation of all the reforms that are important for Georgia's democratic development.
“Please consider positively granting Georgia the status of an EU candidate, which will be an additional breakthrough and a push for the strengthening of democracy in the country and the liberation of Georgia from Russian influence,” the letter reads.
In addition to the parliamentary opposition, the ‘Droa’ party wrote a letter to the EU.
“The Georgian people deserve to become an integral part of the European family. In addition, granting Georgia the status of an EU candidate will make the country's European future irreversible. For decades, the Georgian people have made great sacrifices for democracy, freedom, and security,” the party said.
The letter states that the heroic battle of Ukraine opened a historic door for Georgia and Moldova and created an opportunity for the Associated Trio to become a member of the European Union.
Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine face similar threats related to Russia's goal of restricting their sovereign choice and striving for a European future. Therefore, the separation of Georgia from the associated trio will be a harmful message about the country's membership in the European family.
“We hope that in making the final decision, you will take into account the decades-long efforts of the Georgian people for a European future,” Droa's letter reads.
