Mamuka Mdinaradze says fairness from EU bureaucracy would improve ties with Georgia

Mamuka Mdinaradze, candidate for state minister and future vice prime minister, on Wednesday said that the trajectory of Georgia’s relationship with Europe lies more with the European bureaucracy than with Georgia itself.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Mdinaradze emphasised that if the European leadership approached Georgia with fairness, bilateral relations would inevitably improve.

“I believe that relations with Europe depend not so much on Georgia as on the European bureaucracy itself. If the European bureaucracy is fair toward Georgia, the relationship will improve”, the official said.

He further added that membership in the European Union was not a “panacea” or an end in itself for Georgia, stressing that EU membership is particularly appealing under conditions of what he described as a “traditional, Christian, democratic” Europe.

“For Georgia, EU membership is not a panacea or a self-purpose. It is a goal that is especially interesting in the context of a traditional, Christian, democratic Europe. We also have a very strong emotional connection with such a Europe - a Europe built on values”, Mdinaradze continued.

Addressing controversial social issues, Mdinaradze pushed back against critics who dismiss concerns regarding external pressure on Georgian domestic policy.