MEP Kaljurand: “even if Georgia will not request the remaining tranche, its western partners still expect them to fulfill what would have been the conditionality criteria for the disbursement”

03-09-2021 15:11:11 Politic

Georgia has refuseed EUR 75 million loan from the European Union, conditioned on the court reform and upholding EU-brokered April 19 deal, citing the government attempts to reduce foreign debt and avoid political insinuations.

Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus and Co-Chair of the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee, MEP Marina Kaljurand told the Accent that “even if Georgia will not request the remaining tranche, its western partners still expect them to fulfill what would have been the conditionality criteria for the disbursement.”

“Georgia is a sovereign country and we respect the Georgian authorities’ decision not to request this tranche of EUR 75 million EU macrofinancial assistance, which was due to be conditionally disbursed by September 30. We also understand the economic arguments justifying this decision, i.e. rapid economic recovery. That said, even if Georgia will not request the remaining tranche, we still expect them to fulfill what would have been the conditionality criteria for the disbursement, notably the reform of the justice sector (also pinpointed in the 19 April agreement brokered by Charles Michel),” she told the Accent.

She once again expressed disappoinment with a number of recent steps taken by the government:

“It is no secret that in more than one occasion in last months, we have been certainly disappointed by some moves made by the Georgian authorities. Notably, despite calls from their Western partners, first and foremost the U.S. and the EU, the selection process for Supreme Court judges was not paused and recommendations made by the Venice Commission were ignored. Also, I have been disappointed by Georgian Dream's decision to withdraw unilaterally from the 19 April agreement brokered by Charles Michel. This unfortunate move certainly came as a cold shower for those who hoped that political polarisation could be somehow smoothened ahead of the local elections. That said, the opposition parties that did not sign the agreement on timely manner, and primarily the UNM, have a huge share of responsibility in this setback. The situation in Georgia is not just "black and white". In this respect, indeed, I do regret that some of my colleagues try to 'import' the GD-UNM feud into the European Parliament, or the S&D-EPP disagreements into Georgia, by throwing senseless accusations, echoing gross exaggerations or publishing incendiary statements. I truly think that our Georgian friends deserve better than that.”

According to her, “Georgia is part of Europe – Georgians are part of the big European family. So, no, the EU cannot be tired of Georgia!”

“PM Garibashvili is certainly right when he says that Rome was not built in a day. But we want to see the construction works make progress – and, for this purpose, we expect the Georgian authorities to uphold their commitments, notably when it comes to the rule of law and the justice sector reform, for the greater interest of the Georgian people's Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” MEP Kaljurand said.

“The local elections will take place in one month and, as you can imagine it, I will follow them closely, in my capacity as Chair of the EP Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus and Co-Chair of the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee,” she added.

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