“Open the Door to Georgia,” Key Opposition Leader Tells EU

Nika Melia, chairperson of the United National Movement, the largest Georgian opposition party, has called on the European Union to “open its door to Georgia,” the country awaiting the decision on receiving the candidacy of the 27-member bloc.

In his speech, delivered today at the European People’s Party congress in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Melia asserted that “more than ever, we, the Georgian people, want Europe.”

“We need Europe to stand by us to defeat the state capture, we want Europe because we dream about freedom, about shared prosperity, about peaceful future.”

He said while they are cognizant that the path of the European integration will be “long and complicated, full of the obstacles, but we should pursue it together.”

In his words, “the current oligarchic regime” of Bidzina Ivanishvili, ruling Georgian Dream founder and former Prime Minister, “is a severe obstacle, but with your support we will overcome it definitely.”

“There are more than some, to say the least, who would like to see us stop fighting for the European Union, but we will never cease to fight for the European values, we will never flee…,” the UNM chairperson concluded.

Also Read:

• GD Chair Claims Opposition Campaigns Against Georgia’s EU Candidacy
• Opposition Leaders Visit Brussels as Georgia Eyes EU Candidacy
• Georgia’s Opposition Backs EU Membership

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)