Georgia’s prime minister signs application to join EU

ISTANBUL

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday signed the application for EU membership, according to the country's Foreign Ministry.

The ministry on Twitter noted that Garibashvili signed an application to join the EU, adding, "Thus opening a new, better chapter, well-deserved by our country, as we have been following the principles of democracy and freedom for centuries!"

Georgia announced Wednesday it would officially apply for EU membership Thursday.

The announcement was made on Twitter by Shalva Papuashvili, head of the Georgian parliament, and Nikoloz Samkharadze, chair of the parliament's Foreign Relations Committee.

Georgia's bid to join the European bloc comes amid Ukraine's bid to fast-track its own membership application.

In the wake of Russia's war on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a formal request to join the EU this week and reiterated his appeal to the EU in a video address to the nation on Wednesday morning.

The presidents of eight EU member states – Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia – recently released an open letter pushing the bloc to grant Ukraine the status of EU candidate.