Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream Party, said Georgia would be leading the countries aspiring to join the European Union in terms of its readiness by 2030, Report informs, citing Agenda.ge.
Kobakhidze’s comment followed a statement by Charles Michel, the European Council President, who on Monday said the EU “must be ready” for enlargement by 2030.
The Georgian official said Michel’s mentioning of a “specific year” in the comment was "important" and noted candidate countries who had been aspiring to join the bloc over the recent decades.
The politician compared the chances of Georgia and Moldova, noting that his country had significantly boosted its economy over the past two years.
"Let's take a look at the economy and compare Georgia and Moldova. This and last year alone, we increased the lead on the Moldovan economy by $8 billion. This means that we are $8 billion ahead compared with Moldova on the path of European integration. In the end, when the issue of membership comes up on the agenda, the main criterion will be economy," Kobakhidze said.
The EU summit this past December decided to start accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, which could start in March 2024 or later. The summit also granted candidate status to Georgia.