Tbilisi Mayor Says Estonian President Shall Mind Her Country

Asked to react to Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid’s remarks that Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova might need 20 years of work for the EU membership, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said “everyone shall mind their own country.”

“My answer is very simple: everyone shall mind their own country, and we [Georgians] will somehow manage to implement reforms and [achieve] our country to become a fully fledged member of the European Union very soon,” Kaladze told reporters today.

Estonian President’s Remarks

In an interview released on August 25, President Kersti Kaljulaid told Ukrainian online portal Yevropeiska Pravda that Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova should get either membership in the EU, or the special type of partnership with the 27-member bloc.

She said, “I prefer simply enlargement, but this will take very long time, because it’s hugely conditional, and frankly speaking, none of these three countries is ready to fulfill the European Union criteria.” “So it will be 20 years maybe, to work before you get there.”

“All these countries have problems with independent justice system, for example, therefore you are not fit yet for the European Union membership. We are ready to help, but the work needs to be done by these countries themselves,” the Estonian President added.

Noteworthy, the Georgian Dream government says it will submit a formal application for EU membership in 2024.

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