Page 9 - GEORptAug22

candidate."
Garibashvili added that "the majority of citizens still have certain questions about why Moldova and Ukraine received more encouragement", and explained that "Moldova and Ukraine have an absolutely identical record in connection with the prospect" and claimed that it was because of the war that these two countries received candidature as 'prepayment'.
"This is an encouraging advance for Ukraine, which is in a state of the most difficult war, and for Moldova, which is also in a very difficult situation," he said. "Ukraine is in a difficult situation. It has already lost 20% of the territories, and the war continues," Garibashvili said, adding that "Moldova, which borders Ukraine, is also in a very difficult situation in terms of both economic and security risks. Our European colleagues told me, and I openly said that Ukraine is given this status because it is in a state of war. A few days ago, European leaders publicly confirmed the fact that this decision was made because Ukraine is at war, and in private conversations with me they also said that Moldova is also in a very difficult situation," he said.
"I don't really envy neither Ukraine nor Moldova. I would like to congratulate our friendly Ukrainian and Moldovan peoples on this success. I want to wish them peace and the unification of the country," Garibashvili concluded.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has been criticised for eroding democracy since it took power in 2012.
The European Parliament recently passed a resolution calling for sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream's founder and its former prime minister, for his alleged links with Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime. Ivanishvili made his fortune in Russia before Putin's rise to power. Georgia has refused to join sanctions on Russia.
Garibashvili called the resolution "biased" and criticised the MEPs, who, according to him, showed irresponsibility and insulted the Georgian people, "80% of whom are in favor of uniting our country with Europe". Garibashvili added: “Over the past nine years, we, the team left by the same Bidzina Ivanishvili, and his party [Georgian Dream], have drawn up all the important steps of the strategic document, which actually brought us closer to Europe,” he said.
Georgia submitted the second part of the EU questionnaire on 10 May, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Georgian government handed over the first part of the questionnaire to the European Union on 2 May. Georgia and Moldova applied for EU membership on March 3 alongside Ukraine. Prior to this, the Georgian government intended to formally apply for membership in 2024.
The ruling party has generated bad publicity in recent months over the treatment of jailed former president and United National Movement (UNM) founder Mikheil Saakashvili, its refusal to join sanctions against Russia, Mtavari Arkhi TV's director Nika Gvaramia's arrest, and the European Parliament's call to sanction ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili.
9 GEORGIA Country Report August 2022 www.intellinews.com