The joint conference of the Georgian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and the Parliament of Georgia – “Georgia’s Road to the European Union”.
On July 25, a joint conference of the Georgian Parliament and the Georgian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum “Georgia’s Road to the European Union” was held, which was dedicated to the European integration of Georgia. The purpose of the conference was to promote discussion and dialogue between the members of the parliament and civil society representatives on the issues of Georgia’s integration into the European Union.
Within the framework of the joint conference, the participants discussed such issues as Georgia’s European perspective, 12 recommendations of the European Union and the progress of its implementation.
The conference was chaired by the Chairman of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili and the Chairperson of the National Platform, the head of the Green Movement of Georgia/Friends of the Earth Nino Chkhobadze.
In the opening part of the event, the Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili, the Chairperson of the Georgian National Platform Nino Chkhobadze and the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia Pawel Herczynski addressed the participants and invited guests.
“We have a pleasure of attending the joint conference of the Georgian National Platform and the Parliament. We remind you that at this historic moment for EU-Georgia relations, members of the Platform, have played a key role in the working groups created in Parliament for addressing the 12 priorities. By the end of this year, Georgia awaits an important decision, the leaders and heads of government of the 27 member states of the European Union will decide whether to grant the candidate status to Georgia or not. In the remaining time, Georgia must implement the outstanding recommendations in order to be as well-prepared as possible to take advantage of this unique window of opportunity.
I know it may not be easy. It may be difficult to reach a compromise, to find a common ground, but it is possible because the majority of politicians and members of the civil society have a common purpose – to help Georgia move forward on the European path – and this choice is supported by the overwhelming majority of Georgia’s population” – said the ambassador of the European Union to Georgia.
In the opening part of the conference, the leader of the parliamentary majority, Irakli Kobakhidze, and the deputy chairman of the Georgian National Platform, Lasha Tughushi, addressed the participants.
The joint conference was held in the format of a joint discussion between the representatives of the ruling party, the opposition, the diplomatic corps and the civil sector. The participants focused on the main issues of Georgia’s accession to the European Union. The issue of the implementation of the 12-point plan was discussed in details. Members of the parliamentary majority submitted a report on the implementation of 12 recommendations, including judicial reform, electoral issues and deoligarchization.
Issues related to environmental protection, agriculture, economic integration and labor rights remained to be discussed.
All sessions of the conference were open for media.
The joint conference was held with the support of the EU delegation.
