Olaf Scholz's Comments on Georgia's Future within Europe
During the International Congress of the Party of European Social Democrats (PES) held in Berlin, in which the delegation of "Georgian Dream" led by Irakli Kobakhidze was participating, German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, argued that “today, when Russia is trying to change the boundaries between freedom and autocracy forcefully, we are the people of Europe, our voice must be heard throughout Europe, from the Mediterranean to the North Sea, from Lisbon to Tbilisi and beyond."
"I am glad that at the European Council meeting in June, we unanimously agreed to Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and, in the future, Georgia, and of course, the Western Balkan countries have a place with us - in the part of free and democratic Europe. We made a promise to the candidate countries of the Western Balkans almost 20 years ago, and these words must now be followed by action. This is what the Socialist Party of Europe stands for, and it is good for us if we want to uphold values in a world of 10 billion people in the future. With 27, 30, or 36 countries, with more than 500 million citizens, the EU will be able to defend itself from a global perspective better," – added the Chancellor.
Irakli Kobakhidze also expressed his thoughts, stating that it is crucial for Europe to enlarge from Lisbon to Tbilisi. "Germany plays a significant role in Georgia's integration into Europe," he added. The chairman mentioned how Berlin had received many encouraging letters for Georgia. According to Kobakhidze, "This political backing is very important to us and fills us with the hope that Georgia will soon be granted candidate status and join the EU."