On May 1, the European Commission’s Director General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman, arrived in Georgia. During his two-day visit, Director General Koopman met with President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili, Minister of Economy and Vice Prime Minister Levan Davitashvili, Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, representatives of various political parties, civil society organizations and the investment community.
Meeting with the President
The European Commission’s Director General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman, and the President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, held a meeting to discuss the situation in the country midst the ongoing developments around the Foreign Agents Law and noted that the visit comes at a crucial time for Georgia’s European integration.
According to the press release of the President’s Administration, the President emphasized to Director General Koopman that the EU’s granting of candidate status to Georgia has given great impetus and hope to Georgians who are now defending their European future and need the help of European friends and partners. “It is clear that Russia is using all means to stop Georgia’s progress towards Europe,” – the President emphasized.
The President underlined the crucial importance of the October elections and spoke about the importance of holding the elections in a stable and peaceful environment, as “the Georgian people should once again choose the European future of Georgia”. She also spoke about the importance of the “Unity Platform for Europe“, which is a place for political parties to come together and draw up a concrete joint plan on the reforms to be implemented after the elections for EU integration.
The discussions also focused on the Russia’s war in Ukraine, the situation in the region and in the occupied territories of Georgia.
Gert Jan Koopman expressed the EU’s “extreme concern” about current events in Georgia and the government’s decisions. According to the press release, the Director General stressed that “the adoption of the law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” is a great threat to Georgia’s European integration and will undoubtedly hinder this process. According to him, in June the European Union will discuss a new stage of expansion, and therefore it is extremely important for the Georgian government to become constructive and not to damage the country’s European integration process”.
Meeting with the Prime Minister
The European Commission’s Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman, met with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze. According to the press release of the Government Administration, the parties discussed EU-Georgian relations, including the importance of opening membership negotiations and the progress made by Georgia in fulfilling the 9 steps defined by the European Commission.
One of the topics of discussion was the draft law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence”. Kobakhidze noted that the only goal of the bill is transparency and it imposes the only obligation on non-governmental organizations – to declare annually the received funds. The Prime Minister emphasized that EU membership is one of the main priorities of the Georgian government’s foreign policy and that reforms in this direction will continue. Irakli Kobakhidze reiterated the government’s readiness to cooperate closely with EU institutions and member states in this process.
EC’s Director General shared his side of the talks with the Prime Minister on social media, he stated: “Frank exchange with PM Kobakhidze about EU concerns on latest developments and what is needed for Georgia to rejoin its EU path. The EU remains committed to support efforts in Georgia that are in line with EU aspirations of Georgian citizens.”
Meeting with Speaker of the Parliament and MPs
On May 2, the European Commission’s Director General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman, met with the Speaker of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, and members of parliament. During the meeting with Speaker Papuashvili, Papuashvili thanked the EU for the successful cooperation on the way to granting Georgia the candidate status.
According to the Parliament’s press release, the parties discussed the implementation of the nine steps outlined by the European Commission and further cooperation in this regard. They also discussed the ongoing processes in Georgia and the region.
Gert Jan Koopman also shared on social media that he held a meeting with opposition MPs as well. He stated: “Meetings continue, with President Zurabishvili, Speaker of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili and opposition parties. Focus on the concerning draft law on Foreign Influence and the need to progress on 9 steps. The EU will spare no effort – but the ball is in Georgia’s court!”
Meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs
The European Commission’s Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili. The parties discussed Georgia’s EU integration process and reviewed Georgia’s progress in implementing the reforms foreseen in the nine steps set out in the EU’s Communication of November 8, 2023, underlining the importance of Georgia’s EU accession perspective. They agreed to maintain active communication on the implementation of Georgia’s European agenda.
Meeting with the CSOs
The European Commission’s Director General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman shared on social media that he held a meeting with the representatives of different CSOs. He shared: “Insightful meeting with Georgian civil society today on advancing Georgia’s EU reforms. We also discussed the challenges they face. Civil society is a cornerstone of Georgia’s EU integration process and their perspective remains key.”
