Georgian Vice Parliament Speaker says country’s EU candidacy can prevent threats to European security

Georgian Vice Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze on Tuesday called on the European Union to make a “bold political decision” on granting Georgia its membership candidate status by the end of this year, saying the outcome could prevent security threats to the country and the whole European security.

In his comments on the sidelines of the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, the official from the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed the country’s authorities would create “all basis” for the bloc to grant the status to Georgia.

He stressed the EU should consider the threats the country and the wider European security would face if Georgia failed to obtain the bloc’s candidate status, before pointing to the European Commission's “positive report” published in February on Georgia’s alignment with the bloc’s legal framework.

In the report Georgia takes a leading position [compared to other applicants for the bloc membership]”, Talakvadze said, and added the domestic authorities would present a report on the “complete fulfillment” of the 12-point conditions outlined by the EU last year for granting Georgia the status.

“Then it will be the EU’s turn to make a decision. The Georgian Government believes the country deserves the status”, he noted.

A Georgian Parliamentary delegation is participating in the PACE spring session running between Monday and Friday.