EU 'needs to be more flexible' in membership talks, says Georgian premier

ISTANBUL

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called on the EU to adopt a “more flexible” approach in membership talks, saying the bloc’s bureaucracy poses significant challenges to Georgia’s accession process.

In an interview with Euronews, Kobakhidze said the EU needs to be more open in its approach to new members. Despite current obstacles, he expressed optimism that Georgia will achieve EU membership by 2030.


“We will be consistent in following this goal and hopeful that the approach to Georgia will be fairer in the coming years,” he said.

Georgia paused discussions on its EU bid last November, with Kobakhidze citing “blackmail and manipulation” from some European politicians. While the EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023, it halted the country’s membership process and cut financial aid after the passage of a controversial “foreign influence” law.

Kobakhidze rejected claims that Georgia’s policies were responsible for tensions with the EU and attributed the situation to the bloc’s bureaucracy.


On Nov. 28, Kobakhidze accused some EU officials of using financial aid as a tool for political manipulation and suspended its EU accession talks until 2028, although the country would continue working toward EU membership by 2030.

The decision sparked outrage, with thousands of protesters taking to the streets of the capital Tbilisi.