26 June 2024,   16:14
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Even if all 12 recommendations are not implemented 100%, EU member states are watching how eager Georgia is to fulfill the tasks - Kelly Degnan

Even if all 12 recommendations are not implemented 100%, EU member states are watching how eager Georgia is to fulfill the tasks, said the US Ambassador to Georgia in an interview with Radio Liberty.

“There was an opportunity, and there is still an opportunity, for political leaders to show the courage, to find the strength to put aside their differences and really work to implement the 12 recommendations. The European Union has given Georgia a clear guide to candidate status. They made it very easy - just follow these steps. I hope that in these few months and weeks, political leaders will put their differences aside and work hard to implement these 12 recommendations, because it is in the best interests of Georgia.

Compromise is difficult and that is why courage, great courage is needed. I will repeat again - if your goal is to serve the best interests of Georgia, it requires a compromise from everyone. It doesn"t matter if you call it the “Agreement of April 19”, the Association Agreement with the European Union or the 12 recommendations.

All this refers to the same reforms that Georgia has been working on for years and decades and has achieved impressive progress in many areas, be it electoral reform, judicial reform or others. There is good progress in many areas, but it"s a process, it has to continue, and if it stops because people don’t want to work together, don"t want to compromise, that’s where we see the problem.

EU member states are also watching how Georgia carries out these reforms and whether the country can come together to work on these reforms. I believe that Georgia still has time to show this.

Even if all 12 recommendations are fulfilled 100%, I think the member states are watching how eager Georgia is to fulfill these tasks, because, obviously, the work will continue. Candidate status is the next step on the path to membership. EU members have just a few months until December to see if the governance here is focused on what the people of Georgia have clearly stated. People want a European future”, - said Kelly Degnan.

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