Georgian President: Brussels, not Tbilisi, paused EU accession process

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili on Friday said it was confirmed that the decision to temporarily suspend negotiations with the European Union was made by the European Union itself long before the statement by the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.

The latter explicitly notes, with a specific date, that the European Union decided to suspend Georgia's accession process as early as June 27, 2024, in line with the European Council's conclusions.

“We talked about this issue back then, when the suspension was first mentioned - it was already announced by the European Union in June. But who was listening?” the President said in response to the Ambassador’s letter.

Kavelashvili further added that radical opposition groups tried to portray the temporary suspension of negotiations as a decision initiated by the Georgian Prime Minister, aiming to stir public outrage.

However, he noted that the EU’s own documents confirm the decision had been made well before the Prime Minister’s statement - in fact, by the European Union itself.

“What’s important now is that our society listens to the government - to evaluate the situation fairly, to have a sense of justice toward one’s own state, and to be objective when assessing who is making which statements”, he concluded.