Borrell in Tbilisi warns Georgia on Russia flights and rule of regulation

He talked about “depolarisation, de-oligarchisation, [and] justice reform” as prime priorities.

Borrell complained about Georgia’s resolution to renew flights to and from Russia in Might, within the tooth of EU aviation sanctions.

“It’s a part of the alignment of Georgia with our international coverage, it is a dedication, that Georgia undertook … and what we anticipate from these nations who aspire to grow to be members of the EU. And proper now actually there’s a whole lot of room for enchancment,” he stated.

Borrell additionally signalled concern on rule of regulation by mentioning final week’s impeachment proceedings in opposition to Georgian Dream’s political nemesis, Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili.

The celebration desires her impeached, on grounds she held constitutionally unauthorised conferences with EU VIPs, reminiscent of German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

She responded with a wry-smile image on Instagram, after main months of opposition criticism that Georgian Dream was cozying as much as Russia and backsliding on democracy.

Borrell met Zourabichvili on his Georgia tour in a present of help.

And amid EU speak of “de-oligarchisation”, Georgian Dream’s founder and chairman, Bidzina Ivanishivili, is himself an eccentric oligarch, who made his fortune in Russia, and who lives in futurist mansions, with miniature railways, Picasso work, and menageries of unique pets.

Georgian Dream may nonetheless flip issues round by the top of the yr, when the EU resolution on candidate standing is due, Borrell informed the celebration’s prime minister Irakli Garibashvili in a joint press briefing in Tbilisi on Friday.

“There’s nonetheless time do it,” he stated.

However for all of the EU envoy’s smiles and elbow-rubbing of his Georgian host, the press occasion had a prickly ambiance.

Regularly calling him face-to-face as “Mr Borrell”, Garibashvili claimed his celebration had already delivered “the principle a part of the [12] suggestions” and deserved the EU stamp of approval in December.

The EU had been “unjust” and “unfair” to Georgian folks, he stated, as a result of it gave Moldova and Ukraine candidate standing final yr though Georgia was technically extra superior by way of EU standards, he stated.

“We all know very properly that is additionally a political resolution not solely a merit-based one, due to the bonus for Moldova and Ukraine was on a political foundation solely,” Garibashvili stated.

Opposition accusations of untoward Russia ties had been “faux information … traditional disinformation”, he added.

And any EU insinuations on the Zourabichvili impeachment had been out of order, Garibashvili stated. “This isn’t a political subject. It is a purely authorized matter,” he stated.

Ivanishvili’s dream

Georgian Dream has been in energy since 2020 and faces re-election subsequent yr, in a rustic the place 81 p.c of individuals wish to be a part of the EU and 73 p.c wish to be a part of Nato within the shadow of Russia’s warfare on close by Ukraine.

Folks have been waving EU flags there ever because the pro-democratic Rose Revolution in 2003.

Some 20 p.c of its land is beneath Russian occupation following Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008.

However on the similar time, Georgian imports from Russia grew by €594m final yr regardless of Russia’s shock assault on Ukraine and EU requires worldwide isolation, in line with the Carnegie Endowment for Worldwide Peace, a US think-tank.

And exports from Georgia Russia went up €1.7bn — an enormous 79 p.c — in the identical interval on Garibashvili and Ivanishivili’s watch.

“The EU has not deserted Georgia and won’t abandon Georgia,” Borrell stated on Friday, earlier than utilizing a tutorial analogy on the EU-candidate resolution.

“But when a pupil is doing an examination and would not move, he cannot say the professor has deserted me. No. A professor is an goal issue,” he informed the Georgian PM.