If Georgia is not granted the status, it will be another mistake on the part of the EU - Gharibashvili

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili has called not granting Georgia candidate status last year a mistake of the EU. Gharibashvili reiterated that Ukraine and Moldova had "been given the status in advance".

Gharibashvili spoke about candidate status while presenting the annual report in the Parliament. The Prime Minister claims that the Georgian government is doing everything possible to get the status, and if the country does not get it, it will be "another strategic mistake" of the EU.

"As you know, the government together with the parliament did its best in the part of fulfilling the priorities, we were fully involved in this process. It was a big mistake made last year by our European friends, when Georgia was not given the status and Moldova and Ukraine were given the status as a bonus or advance. Despite the fact that we were ahead of Moldova and Ukraine in all parameters and are still ahead today. Of course, receiving European perspective was a historic decision for us , of which, it should be said, during the previous government it was not even possible to dream about because it was an absolutely abstract, unattainable dream. We have done our best in the last 10 years. If anyone has done something in the last 30 years, it is our government, when we signed the association agreement, the visa-free regime, now our citizens move visa-free to European countries, this is our achievement, this is the achievement of the Dream. You remember and you will probably all agree with me, until 2012 the elite moved freely in the direction of Europe, ordinary citizens did not have the opportunity to do so, they had to stand in queues and in many cases were refused visas. Of course the status is of a symbolic importance but a significant next step. Our team did its best for everything, I assure our European colleagues and friends at my meetings that if they do not grant Georgia the candidate status, it will be another strategic mistake on the part of the European Union, and our country, our people, our government do not deserve it," Gharibashvili said.