Georgia's European choice

Today we and the entire world have found ourselves in a dangerous and rapidly changing new reality that, on the one hand, has drawn a bold line between freedom, democracy and value-based order vis-a-vis an authoritarianism, but on the other hand, has set the highest price for standing on the right side, especially, for those countries, geographically close to Russia and not having firm security guarantees. The entire security architecture of Europe is currently under serious threat. EU’s strategic autonomy must start with a strategic responsibility for the development and stability in the Eastern neighborhood. This is an exactly right time for applying a new, bold geostrategic vision to the eastern neighborhood.

Unfortunately, only at the highest possible cost of human tragedies it has become clear that shift in geopolitical approach is inevitable, and that new decisions should be based on a clear and simple understanding of the strategic reason for this region: if the EU ensures its engagement in wider European processes and exports sustainable peace into the Region, only then it safeguards its own stability and unhindered, peaceful development.

Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have been defending their European choice at the expense of existential risks for a long time already. It is critical that decisions taken on the next steps of European integration of these three countries are merit-based and with full realization of the geopolitical context. If any of them are left behind in this process, it will be once again interpreted as accepting the Russian logic of having legitimate right to spheres of influence and further intervene, annex, occupy and drag us into uncertainty and security vacuum. It will also incentivize and fuel pro-Russian propaganda, which will negatively influence public opinion on European aspirations. On the other hand, granting all three associated countries EU candidate status would further support their complex reforms phase, strengthen competitiveness of their economies and rise confidence of Georgian population pin EU. Granting candidacy status to Georgia will also be encouraging signal to our citizens on the other side of the occupation line that Georgia irreversibly walks toward Europe and in united country they will be able to share all the benefits that EU offers to its members. That will become most effective instrument for Georgian government’s peaceful conflict resolution policy.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili delivers a speech during the Independence Day celebrations in Tbilisi, Georgia May 26, 2022. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze
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Political momentum should also be seized from the EU’s perspective. EU’s one of the strongest transformative powers has always been its enlargement tool with a powerful potential of further fostering and expanding democratic values and standards. While it is acknowledged that the process of European integration has its ups and downs in the Trio countries, their progress is still quite impressive.

According to the results of the recent Eastern Partnership Index 2020-21 the Trio has already secured considerable normative and sectoral approximation to the EU, mainly by implementing respective Association Agreements and demonstrated a good record in upholding Copenhagen criteria. By granting Trio countries a candidacy status and applying a revised enlargement methodology, which is largely based on conditionality scheme, the EU will retain a sole leverage on leading the accession phases on a merit based approach, while demonstrating strong political support to the Trio countries.

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