I am glad that today, in the Parliament of Georgia, we are discussing such an issue as the expansion of the European Union as a strategic investment in the peace, stability, security and economic growth of the entire Europe, - said the Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili during his speech at the inter-parliamentary conference of Georgia and the Western Balkan countries.
According to him, Georgia has recently joined the group of countries wishing to join the European Union by being granted the status of a candidate member."Last year's historic decision was a recognition of our hard work and achieved results, as well as an important step towards our country's accession to the European Union. We understand that joining the European Union is a long process that requires patience and hard work. In this process, it is important to study the best experience of those countries that have been on this path for years and have gained valuable experience in coming closer to EU standards", Shalva Papuashvili noted, adding that various directives are taken into account in the Georgian legislation.
According to the chairman of the parliament, the inter-parliamentary conference of Georgia and the Western Balkan countries aims to share experience on the issues of joining the European Union and deepen cooperation in areas of common interest. It refers to issues such as: the process of conducting accession negotiations, pre-accession assistance, better management of the Europeanization process, and others.
According to the chairman of the parliament, the challenges faced by the countries of the Western Balkans on this road are also interesting for Georgia."I hope that the experience of Georgia will be interesting for the participants of today's event. In the near future we will all be full members of one big family. Accordingly, we are ready to be your close and valuable partner today, as well as to promote the construction of bridges of cooperation between the Western Balkans and the Eastern neighborhood of the European Union", said Shalva Papuashvili.
According to his own assessment, it is important for our countries to move forward on the path to joining the European Union, to gradually give us more access to the freedoms provided for by the European Union's single market, which will bring more tangible results to our citizens."Progressive integration is one of the best ways to prepare our countries and citizens for full EU membership. Last year, Georgia was granted observer status in the EU Transport Community, which will facilitate our progressive integration into the EU transport market. Georgia has also applied for membership of the Single European Payments Area, Single Roaming Area and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Our citizens will especially feel the benefits coming from the European Union in this way.
I am pleased to host you today in this new format. I am sure there will be interesting discussions ahead. I believe that our cooperation and experience sharing will significantly contribute to our further European integration.The future of our countries is in the European Union, and supporting each other on this path will surely lead us to our cherished goal", said Shalva Papuashvili.
