After the Georgian government decided not to accept the EU’s 75 million euros worth of second-phase loan assistance, Brussels said on Tuesday (August 31) that Tbilisi had failed to meet the reform conditions attached to the assistance, which is more and more The latest signs of assistance. Rock relationship.
“Although we respect the decision of the Georgian authorities, at the same time, we have noticed that Georgia has failed to adequately address the conditions for this macro financial assistance, especially its failure to improve the independence, accountability and quality of the judicial system,” the EU said. , To respond to the statement made by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
Gary Bashvili said earlier on Tuesday that his country will not ask for the second half of the 150 euro aid-this is in addition to the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the EU’s effort to stabilize its eastern neighbors. At the beginning of the pandemic-originally scheduled to be paid before September 30, 2021.
Although Garibashvili attributed the decision to the better-than-expected economic performance of the South Caucasus countries and the desire to reduce foreign debts, sources familiar with the situation told EURACTIV that the Georgian authorities realized that they did not meet the standards of judicial reform and passed the previous empty space. Avoid asking for it.
European Council President Charles Michel warned Gary Bashvili during the Kiev meeting last week (August 23) that “the deadline for the issuance of macro financial aid is imminent” and that “reforms are needed as always.”
The EU stated in a statement on Tuesday: “For the interests of Georgian citizens and the future of EU-Georgian relations, the EU calls on the Georgian authorities to uphold their reform commitments, including those of the judiciary.”
This move is condemn Georgian civil society, including Transparency International Georgia, acted as “a clear refusal to implement judicial reforms and a public statement that Georgia has deviated from the Euro-Atlantic route.”
This episode is the latest in the continuing disagreement between the ruling Georgian Dream Party and Brussels.
In July, the ruling party-controlled parliament appointed six judges of the Supreme Court, Brussels Said Violation of the “key terms” of EU intermediaries Trading on April 19 Ended the country’s protracted political crisis.
Later that month, Georgian Dream completely withdrew from the agreement.
In its report The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) issued a statement on August 23 stating that the judicial appointment process was “damaged by lack of equal conditions and defects”. In this process, the credibility of these appointments was eventually destroyed because it complies with international standards and is truly based on performance. “
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic and Georgi Gotev]
