Helsinki Commission Urges European Council to Grant Candidate Status to Georgia
By Khatia Bzhalava
Friday, June 24, 2022
US Helsinki Commission calls on the European Council to grant candidate status to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), Co-Chairman Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), and Ranking Members Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) and Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the relevant joint statement.
The signatories of the statement praised the historic decision of the European Commission to recommend EU candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova, stressing that “all countries have the sovereign right to choose their own alliances and determine their own foreign policies”. The statement also focuses on Georgia’s achievements on the European integration path, stating that Georgia should be given “an equally concrete roadmap to EU membership.”
“The people of Georgia also have sacrificed much for their European identity over several decades, despite Russian warmongering and the challenges of painful reforms. They have demonstrated that they can rise to the challenge if and when the path is clear. We believe they too should be offered an equally concrete roadmap to EU membership,” the commission notes.
The statement reads that ahead of this week’s European Council meeting, US Helsinki Commission encourages European partners to grant all three countries candidate status.
“The path to liberal democracy is never without occasional setbacks and detours, and always in need of vigilance, careful effort, and compromise. We believe candidate status will give all three countries a fighting chance in their common European dream,” reads the statement issued by the Commission.
The European Commission recommended on Friday to grant EU candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova with conditions. The European Commission also recommended to the Council that Georgia should be given the perspective to become a member of the European Union.
According to the recommendation, Georgia should be granted candidate status once certain priorities in different areas of the reform agenda are addressed. The European Council will make its final decision regarding the three countries’ pending applications for EU membership on June 23-24.
