Viktor Orbán: Georgia Highly Deserves EU Candidate Status
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, October 13, 2023
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held a joint briefing with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili during Orbán's official visit to Georgia.
Gharibashvili thanked the Hungarian Prime Minister for being a 'true friend' of Georgia and the Georgian people and a strong supporter of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In addition, Gharibashvili noted Viktor Orbán's merit in protecting, strengthening, and upholding true values and traditions.
"We are particularly pleased that our countries share a commitment to traditional and timeless values, which have played a decisive role in preserving our history, culture, identity, and shaping our everyday lives. This commitment includes loyalty to our nations, homeland, and faith, as well as the sanctity of the family and respect for our traditions. I cannot help but mention Viktor Orbán's contributions to protecting, consolidating, and strengthening these true values and traditions. I have said it in Hungary, and I will say it again here: the Hungarian people are fortunate to have such a strong and patriotic leader who prioritizes his country's interests and serves his people's well-being," said the Prime Minister.
Viktor Orbán stated, "It is not easy to be a Christian in Europe, it is not easy to run a Christian government in Europe."
"I believe that our Christian traditions are of the highest value. We welcome it if countries decide to move closer to the EU, building on this heritage. We come with good intentions, wanting to create a strong Europe together. We hope to see in the near future that two unions, two countries belong to the same political union, the European Union. May God bless Georgia," Orbán said.
Hungarian PM expressed that the primary reason for his visit to Georgia was to demonstrate the respect and appreciation of the Hungarian people for the Georgian people. He then expressed deep disappointment and frustration that Georgia has not been granted candidate status by the European Union, especially when some countries that have received this status he considers less 'deserving'.
We came here primarily to show the respect and appreciation of the Hungarian people for the Georgian people. We are deeply disappointed and frustrated that Georgia has not received EU candidate status, especially when some countries that did are far less deserving. In the European Union, we must decide whether we truly view enlargement as a political process or, as we claim, a merit-based one. If it is indeed merit-based, then what happened to your country is undeniably unfair and needs correction without delay," Orbán stated.
According to the Hungarian Prime Minister, "Georgia is a country that especially deserves this status. Of course, the country's economic performance is high, and I believe that the European Union has interests in connecting with the Caucasus region, and the best solution is to connect through Georgia."
