Georgia formally applies to join the European Union

Georgia has officially applied to join the European Union. This was announced on Wednesday afternoon by the president of his Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, through social networks.

Already this morning the president of the country, Salomé Zurabishvili, has asked Brussels to apply “a political formula” to translate their desire for integration into political, economic and institutional terms.

The leader of the Executive has acknowledged in an interview with the French television channel ‘BFMTV’ that the idea that her country could become a member of the EU “tomorrow morning” is not real, but she does believe that they could “make a gesture politician”.

Also, he highlighted that Your country has joined the international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In his opinion, it is possible to “find the political formula that translates the words of Ursula von der Leyen”, the president of the European Commission, who last Sunday affirmed that Ukraine is “one of ours and we want them with us”.

Salomé Zurabishvili has pointed out that accession to the EU is inscribed in its own Constitution, that there is consensus on the will to integrate and that “very quickly” they are going to send a request to formalize it. Following these words, this afternoon the President of Parliament made the announcement.

Georgia completely lost control of two provinces in 2008 separatists, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which represent 20% of its territory, due to a Russian military intervention and despite the ceasefire, its relations with Moscow have been very tense ever since.

Asked whether, in view of what happened in Ukraine, the European Union could serve as protection, Zurabishvili indicated that “there is no real shield” but the EU “is a political response” that has been highlighted by the “extraordinary unity” shown by the Twenty-seven after the Russian invasion.