On January 26, Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, participated in the celebration of International Customs Day organized by the Ministry of Finance following the event.

Regarding Georgia's accession to the European Transit System, Ambassador Herczyński highlighted the EU's support for Georgia's tax and customs revenues and affirmed the Union's commitment to assisting the country. He emphasized the inevitability of Georgia's membership in the European Union, underscoring the importance of protecting Georgian borders to safeguard both the country and EU member states.

Addressing the EU's observation of the 2024 parliamentary elections in Georgia, Ambassador Herczyński stressed the significance of free and fair elections, emphasizing that they are integral to the nine steps identified by the European Commission. He affirmed the EU's intention to closely monitor the elections and expressed support for the OSCE/ODIR's long-term observation, pending discussions among EU member states regarding the Union's participation in the observation process.

Ambassador Herczyński reiterated the need for Georgia to progress in fulfilling the nine steps outlined by the EU following its grant of candidate status. He emphasized that achieving candidate status marks the beginning of extensive work towards EU membership and expressed hope for accelerated, inclusive, and constructive efforts from Georgia.

Commenting on the latest EaP Index and Georgia's assessment, Ambassador Herczyński encouraged Georgian authorities to accelerate necessary reforms. He underscored the importance of reforms in strengthening Georgia as a stable, democratic country, emphasizing that these reforms are essential for realizing the benefits of EU membership. Ambassador Herczyński reaffirmed the EU Delegation's readiness to coordinate reform efforts and urged Georgia to continue working on reforms alongside the upcoming election campaign.

In conclusion, Ambassador Herczyński expressed the EU's desire to see Georgia as a strong and stable country with well-functioning institutions, reiterating the need for accelerated progress in Georgia's European integration process.