The European Union is ready to help Georgia prepare for joining the EU, we must move towards this together, European Commissioner for European Neighborhood and Enlargement Policy Oliver Varhei said today in Tbilisi after a meeting with Prime Minister of Georgia Iraklii Garibashvili, the "News-Georgia" agency writes .
"The vast majority of the population of Georgia supports joining the European Union. This is a very strong mandate not only for the government, but also for the entire political elite... This goal requires long-term stability and peace," the European Commissioner emphasized.
He noted that "in the period of new geopolitical pressure, Georgia has very clearly shown that its firm goal is to join the EU" and Brussels "heard it".
“I came not only with the mandate of the neighborhood, but also with the mandate of enlargement, to say that we are ready... We have a lot of work ahead of us in the coming weeks and months. Georgia will have to make a big effort to show that it is ready to become a candidate country… this will happen if the whole country works towards this goal. I am sure that history never gives the same chance twice. That is why it is necessary to take advantage of this opportunity and implement it," said Varhei.
He added that the message from Brussels is the same: "Georgia needs a national consensus on all 12 recommendations of the European Commission" to obtain candidate status in the EU.