Georgian President: Georgia will be ready for EU membership by 2030

In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili said that the country would be ready to join the European Union by 2030, but “it is unclear whether the EU will revise its current approach”.

“They operate with double standards. Dialogue is key, but they are not engaging in dialogue with us. Sometimes they recognise this Government, and sometimes they don’t. It is absurd”, the President pointed out.

He further stressed that for Georgia to become an EU member state, everyone - from EU bureaucrats to members of the European Parliament - must change their attitude.

“Let me outline a few facts. The protest began over the transparency law. My faction initiated this law. It concerns transparency and requires NGOs whose budgets include at least 20 percent foreign funding to declare their finances. NGOs must present all documentation and be transparent about their spending. That is all the law says”, Kavelashvili said.

“We joined every sanction we could, except for those contradicting our national interests and economic situation. We supported all UN resolutions related to the war in Ukraine. We did not send volunteers to Ukraine to avoid being accused of involvement in the war”, he concluded.