The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, signed the country's application to join the European Union. He commented on the event in a televised address.
"Today is a historic day for Georgia. On behalf of the countries, I am signing an application for membership in the European Union", Sputnik Georgia quotes him.
After this statement, Garibashvili signed the document.
Let us remind you that earlier the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party's chairperson Irakli Kobakhidze urged the EU to consider Georgia's application "on an emergency basis" and make a decision on Georgia’s EU candidate status.
As political scientist Giorgi Nodia noted in an interview with a Vestnik Kavkaza correspondent, it is still a long way from Garibashvili's application to Georgia's accession to the EU. "The application is only a request for recognition of Georgia as a candidate member of the European Union. I think that joining the EU is out of question now, only that the EU will agree to it in principle. As for recognition as a candidate, it is possible", he said.
"The main obstacle to Georgia’s recognition as a EU candidate is likely to be the behaviour of today’s Georgian government, which has refused to join sanctions against Russia, but even despite this, the republic will still be able to become a candidate. On the other hand, I do not expect a quick response. It will probably take quite a long time to consider the application. Maybe a year. In the next two or three months, there will definitely be no answer", Giorgi Nodia said.
