On December 14, the European Council granted Georgia candidate country status.

"The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. EUCO granted candidate status to Georgia. The EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached and has invited the commission to report by March to take such a decision. A clear signal of hope for their people and our continent," Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, said.

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili said, "I am grateful to the leaders of the European Union for acknowledging the civilizational choice of Georgia. Georgia is an EU candidate country! Grateful to the EU Council, EU leaders Charles Michel, Ursula von der Leyen, and Olivér Várhelyi for acknowledging Georgia’s civilizational choice. We remain dedicated and eagerly look forward to advancing on our EU integration path."

Moreover, Garibashvili invited the public to Freedom Square on December 15 to celebrate the historical fact of granting candidate status. 

He congratulated Bidzina Ivanishvili, the party's founder, on getting the status. "I want to congratulate everyone. I want to congratulate Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of our party, on this day, whose rule brought this victory and success today. Since 2012, our political team has reached its maximum, and today, it can be said to be a kind of crowning of our success. Georgia is a European country from today. This victory belongs to you, dear citizens, it is the result of our work, our fight," Garibashvili said.

Moreover, Shalva Papuashvili, the Chairman of the Parliament, also congratulated the citizens on the decision of the European Council to grant the EU candidate status to Georgia.

"Also, I would like to congratulate Ukraine and Moldova on the decision to open negotiations. In general, the meeting of the European Council fully met the expectations. On the first day, a decision regarding all these issues was made, be it Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, that the European Union is very clearly on the path of enlargement. This is the path that Georgia has now finally embarked on, on which it has finally received confirmation from the European Union. The main political decision has already been made today. The so-called window of opportunity that was talked about, Georgia has already used this very window. Now, there is work ahead, which consists of many stages, and I want to assure the population of Georgia that the Georgian government will also be successful in passing all these stages," Papuashvili said.

Furthermore, Mikheil Saakashvili, the third president of Georgia, stated that Ukraine opened Georgia's way to Europe, but the Georgian people are the main subject that brings the nation closer to the day of the accession to the European Union.

"I am a proud Georgian and a proud citizen of Ukraine. Ukraine opened Georgia's path to Europe, but the Georgian people are the main subject that brings us closer to the day of our accession to the European Union. Europe has entered the Caucasus, and we will ensure that the European flag, once raised in Georgia, will never be lowered again. I raised it for the first time in 2004. In 2008, Russia tried to lower it and failed. Now the European Union itself has raised its flag in our region, and nothing can change that," Mikheil Saakashvili added.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola noted, "Congratulations to the people of Georgia on a historic day for the country and for the EU. We heard you and your European aspirations, and today, Georgia is proud to be given the EU candidate status. This means hope."

Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor to President Joe Biden, responded to the European Council's decision: "We welcome the EU’s historic decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, a crucial step toward fulfilling their Euro-Atlantic aspirations. We also welcome important progress for Georgia and continue to support the EU aspirations of the Western Balkans."