Georgian PM: Georgia ready for EU accession by 2030, awaits positive changes in Union

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday said the country would be fully prepared to join the European Union by 2030, stressing that the key factor would be the direction of developments within the EU itself.

In his remarks, Kobakhidze underlined that his Government’s top foreign policy priority remains European integration.

“You know what our foreign policy priority is. First of all, this is the integration into the European Union. This is our declared goal, we have also stated that by 2028 will have implemented over 90 percent of the obligations arising from the Association Agreement. We will be ready in 2030 for full membership in the European Union. The main point is that, in the meantime, processes within the EU must also move in the right direction”, the Prime Minister said.

However, he voiced concerns over the state of democracy, human rights, and economic development within the Union.

“Today, the trends are worrying, in terms of democracy, human rights, and economy. Unfortunately, there is a setback in all directions. By the time we are ready for accession in 2030, we hope these negative trends will be reversed, that the democratic system within the EU will be strengthened, human rights will be better protected, and the economy will grow stronger”, he concluded.