Euronews speaks to Georgia President following Association Agreement with EU
- 10 years ago
Closer ties between the EU and Georgia and Moldova is the only tangible result after the Eastern Partnership Summit. euronews speaks to the President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili after the Vilnius gathering.
euronews: “Mr President, your country just initialed the Association Agreement with the EU and you hope that Georgia will join the EU very soon. What makes you think that Georgia will join the EU very soon?”
President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili: “Georgia is historically part of Europe so we will continue on this path and at some point, I hope in the near future, we will really become part of this family. Not only culturally, but also politically.”
euronews: “Do you think that Russia will pressurise you into not signing the agreement as happened with Ukraine and how will you resist this pressure?”
Margvelashvili: “It is not always right in politics to think with analogies. Of course the environment currently on the summit creates a temptation of that analogy. We want to think that the European format of win-to-win policy, the European paradigm, that broader and bigger Europe is a safer world, is a safer region, is a safer Russian neighbour.”
euronews: “You want your country to join both the EU and NATO, and at the same time, you want to normalise your relationship with Russia. Do you think that these two things are compatible?”
Margvelashvili: “Can anyone show me why they are not?”
euronews: “NATO and Russia?”
Margvelashvili: “Georgia is an independent country with its policy. Georgia tries to send out the message to each of its neighbours, including the Russian Federation, that civilised, economically-strong, democratic, European Georgia, and Euro-Atlantic Georgia, is not a threat for anyone. But on the contrary, it is a more stable border, it is a more stable neighbourhood.”
euronews: “Mr President, your country just initialed the Association Agreement with the EU and you hope that Georgia will join the EU very soon. What makes you think that Georgia will join the EU very soon?”
President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili: “Georgia is historically part of Europe so we will continue on this path and at some point, I hope in the near future, we will really become part of this family. Not only culturally, but also politically.”
euronews: “Do you think that Russia will pressurise you into not signing the agreement as happened with Ukraine and how will you resist this pressure?”
Margvelashvili: “It is not always right in politics to think with analogies. Of course the environment currently on the summit creates a temptation of that analogy. We want to think that the European format of win-to-win policy, the European paradigm, that broader and bigger Europe is a safer world, is a safer region, is a safer Russian neighbour.”
euronews: “You want your country to join both the EU and NATO, and at the same time, you want to normalise your relationship with Russia. Do you think that these two things are compatible?”
Margvelashvili: “Can anyone show me why they are not?”
euronews: “NATO and Russia?”
Margvelashvili: “Georgia is an independent country with its policy. Georgia tries to send out the message to each of its neighbours, including the Russian Federation, that civilised, economically-strong, democratic, European Georgia, and Euro-Atlantic Georgia, is not a threat for anyone. But on the contrary, it is a more stable border, it is a more stable neighbourhood.”