Statement of Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maka Botchorishvili, at Session of the Delphi Economic Forum Entitled “From the Mediterranean to the Black Sea: Europe’s New Security Arc”

It is a pleasure to join this panel discussion on a very important topic for Europe.

Georgia aspires to join the European Union. We have applied for EU membership in 2022. But this aspiration does not start on that date. If you look back, Georgia has done lots of things to be transformed from Soviet or post-Soviet country to modern, functioning democracy. And achieved quite a number of progress in economic development and put itself on top of rankings, in terms of doing business, economic development and democratic development.

Of course, we hear the criticism quite often coming from the European Union but it has its logic behind and it is related to recent developments in the region.

The vision from Georgia is very simple - we are working hard to develop in a very complex geopolitical environment which is putting Georgia in a very sensitive and vulnerable situation, especially after the war started in Ukraine and the developments in Middle East. Of course, our vulnerability is increasing. And I do not think that I have to remind that Georgia still has two regions occupied by the Russian Federation. We still have illegal military presence in two regions of Georgia. We are not members of NATO, and any military alliance that definitely puts Georgia in more vulnerable situation in today's geopolitical context. 

On the other hand, if we look at the map, it is clear what opportunities Georgia’s location offers, as a country connecting the East and the West. That, of course, gives an opportunity for both of us, for the European Union and for Georgia to work together. 

We are talking about Black Sea. And today, Black Sea is pretty much dividing sea between European Union and the rest of the continent. But it is geopolitical question what we want to see in the future, to keep Black Sea as a dividing sea, or to turn it into connecting sea. And that is the work, I think, we need to do together. 

Of course, it is related to working together, but also to the common vision. Vision definitely is there from our side. We want to keep our country in a secure environment, to keep our country developing. The progress that Georgia has achieved in the last few years is impressive, if you look at the numbers. And there are plenty of opportunities to contribute, not only to benefit from European project. And that is something that we need to discuss with the European Union. Aspiration is there, wilingness from the Georgian side is there for ages. And the only thing that we need to see from the European side is understanding and vision of that kind of geopolitics and real steps that we want to work together to see Georgia, and not only Georgia, as part of the European project.

One thing that we see in recent years, especially after the application for the EU membership, European integration is increasingly used as a political instrument in Georgia, that damages the whole process. And that is something that we need to avoid, to use European integration as a weapon. We shall not weaponize the process because at the end of the day, that harms the whole idea of enlargement and accession. And especially it is tricky to do in a very complex geopolitical context in which Georgia finds itself today.

Let us be frank and fair. When we had a dialogue, Georgia has never said no to dialogue with European Union. Georgia has never stopped the process, although we are blamed that we have done so. The process of negotiations has never started with Georgia and that is European decision. We made it very clear that whenever the decision is there taken by the European leaders to open negotiations with Georgia, Georgia is ready. 

But on our side, we also realize that it is quite a complex process and it is not just decisions from the European side. We realize very well what we need to do. The first and the most important thing is related to security and stability in the country. This is essential, basis, without that it would be very difficult to talk about anything else. So, to keep stability in the country is number one priority. 

Another priority is to maintain dynamic economic development, which is impressive at the moment. Keeping this growing indicators is also important from the perspective of EU enlargement, as we have to be a competitive country among other European states, those that currently have stronger economies than Georgia. And of course, our goal is to become competitive within the EU which requires lots of reforms on our part.