German Ambassador Peter Fischer Encourages Georgia to Further Pursue EU Integration Efforts
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
German Ambassador to Georgia H.E. Peter Fischer in an interview with IPN discussed the European Commission's recommendation for Georgia's EU membership candidate status. He expressed optimism and emphasized the importance of Georgia continuing its efforts, especially in areas related to democracy and the rule of law. The ambassador underscored the significance of these values in the European Union and stressed that new members will not receive concessions, particularly in the area of democratic principles and institutions.
The interview also highlighted the protection the European Union offers against geopolitical risks and challenges to democratic values globally. Ambassador Fischer expressed Germany's support for Georgia's EU membership and provided insights into the next steps in the accession process.
Fischer expressed a positive sentiment toward the European Commission's recommendation for Georgia's EU membership candidate status. He emphasized that if the Commission makes such a recommendation, it is a very good sign. Ambassador Fischer then spoke on behalf of Germany, stating that they wanted to say 'yes' to enlarging the European Union.
"If the Commission recommends, that's a very good sign. I can say for Germany, we want to say 'yes'. We want to enlarge the Union because the European Union is our protection against a world full of risks. Geopolitical risks: We've seen the aggression of Russia against Ukraine, but potentially also against other countries. We see violence in the Middle East. We see a lot of big challenges for the international community. We also see challenges to our way of living, which is in freedom, where the citizens have freedom rights, where we enjoy democracy, where we live by the rule of law, not by the rule of force. The European Union protects us from all that. The more countries are with us, the better this protection is.
At the same time, those countries that will join will also have this protection. We are there to protect each other," Fischer said.
The German Ambassador to Georgia also spoke about the nine areas that the European Commission has identified where Georgia needs to continue its efforts. He emphasized the significance of Georgia persistently working towards European integration. The ambassador stressed the importance of Georgia sending positive signals and not regressing in any of the nine mentioned areas before the decision in December.
"It's important to keep in mind that the decision will only be in December. But I am very optimistic. The Commission also named nine areas where Georgia should continue working. And it's very important that Georgia continue working, moving towards Europe, and until December does not send any opposite signals to us. The signal has to be, yes, we will continue working. The signal should not be that we are going backward in any of the nine mentioned areas. And I said that the EU is our protection, but also the protection for our way of life, freedom, democracy, rule of law. And since it's our protection, and since there is a challenge to those values coming from the world, from a number of states that think it's better to rule from above and just give the command, and the people should do what the rulers say, rather than letting the people decide and telling the government what to do:
We will not give any discount to any potential new members, especially in the area of democracy and rule of law institutions. That's a very important issue for us. We have the recommendation. In December, we will have a decision. I'm optimistic and I would like it to be yes. Germany would like it to be yes. The next step will be to open negotiations. Then we have 220,000 pages of legal text, the so-called Acquis, which means the full body of European legislation and standards that new members have to adopt. The first negotiating chapter to be opened and the last to be closed are always the two chapters on democracy and rule of law institutions. So that's a very fundamental point and it's really worth it to emphasize that," the German Ambassador said.
