On December 20, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said that Georgia should not become a hostage of political disputes within the European Union on the issue of obtaining EU candidate status.

"This discussion that is going on in the European Union is not new, and we cannot interfere in it. Regardless of where and how this discussion takes place, it should not prevent any country from making merit-based decisions. Georgia should not be a hostage of political discussion," Papuashvili added. He said that negotiations regarding Georgia should be made based on merit and recommendation of the European Commission.

Notably, Georgian opposition activists called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who opposed the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union at the December summit, an obstacle for Georgia to obtain EU candidate status.