Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, stated that Georgia's candidacy for the European Union would be guaranteed if it went to war with Russia before December. In an interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster on July 5, MP Kobakhidze declared, "You would agree that achieving such a candidate status is not worth it." He said: "We cannot and will not change this factor. The opposition would delight in waging war, and they would make every effort to achieve this objective. We shall not engage in warfare under any circumstances."

"If the war in Ukraine ends by December, the emotional context that, among other things, contributed to the European Union's vote against Georgia will be eliminated. In other words, Ukraine and Moldova were granted candidate status for emotional reasons, whereas Georgia was not, "he noted.

Caucasus Watch previously reported that Irakli Kobakhidze revealed a proposal to adhere to the 12 recommendations of the European Commission by July 1 in order for Georgia to be granted EU candidate status. The declaration was made during a political council meeting at the party's headquarters in Tbilisi, which was also attended by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

Read also:

The War in Ukraine and Evolving Georgian-Russian Relations

Georgian Dream Chairman on Opposition’s Protest and Constitutional Reforms

Georgian Dream Chair: “If Not This Year, Georgia Will Be a Candidate Next Year”