Georgia Postpones EU Membership Talks Until 2028 and Rejects EU Grants

Georgia has stated it will refrain from talks on its accession to the European Union until the end of 2028, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on November 28.

“We have taken the decision not to have the issue of opening accession negotiations with the European Union on the agenda until the end of the year 2028. We will also decline from accepting any budgetary grants from the EU until the end of 2028,” Kobakhidze stated.

In 2023, the European Commission recommended granting Georgia candidate status on the condition that it conduct reforms. The following year, however, the Commission announced that Georgia’s integration process into the EU had been effectively halted due to the political course taken by anti-Western ruling party Georgian Dream. On October 26, Georgian Dream was reelected by majority vote in an election process marred by interference and voter intimidation at polling booths.

“Due to the course of action taken by the Georgian government, EU leaders have stopped Georgia’s accession process. It remains on hold as long as Georgia continues to move away from the European Union, our values and our precedents,” said EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski.

On October 28, thousands gathered outside the Georgian Parliament in Tbilisi, protesting alleged manipulation in recent parliamentary elections.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s chief diplomat, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have called for an investigation into the recent Georgian parliamentary elections, citing reports of irregularities after the Moscow-aligned Georgian Dream party secured nearly 54% of the vote in October.

International observers deemed the elections neither free nor fair, prompting opposition parties supporting EU integration to contest the results.