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David Songulashvili: "The ruling party, Georgian Dream, is the political force enshrining in the Constitution that European integration is the highest priority of Georgia’s foreign policy."
"Georgia is significantly ahead of countries such as Moldova and other partners regarding integration indicators into the European Union. However, we have repeatedly found ourselves placed third in evaluations by European political circles. This is often due to the actions of certain internal groups that deliberately attempt to destabilize the country for political gain," stated Mr David Songulashvili, Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, during a meeting with Mr José Manuel Fernandes, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Portugal.
Notably, Mr José Manuel Fernandez was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2024.
During the meeting, Mr Songulashvili emphasized the importance of Georgia's European integration.
''We have declared that if 2030 is considered a potential target year for EU accession, Georgia has its Agenda. Until 2028, we will continue implementing the goals set out in the Association Agreement, including comprehensive legislative harmonization. Our roadmap is clear, aiming to be fully prepared by 2030. Meanwhile, if the European Union expresses a genuine interest in tangible cooperation with Georgia, we are ready to engage today. However, it is unacceptable for certain groups to exploit the European integration process as a tool for fomenting internal instability, ” stated the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.
Minister Songulashvili also addressed the Law on Transparency, stating that its purpose is straightforward: ensuring the public access to information about foreign-funded organizations operating in Georgia. The law requires the organizations receiving a certain percentage of foreign funding to disclose their donors and provide transparency regarding how those funds are spent. This provision protects the public interest and promotes greater transparency in the political process.
"The content of the draft law is very straightforward: what is the value of activities carried out with foreign funding? Despite the simplicity of this principle, Georgia has come under considerable international pressure. We believe the public has the right to know who is funding specific processes in the country and for what purpose. Against this backdrop, it is important to reaffirm that the ruling party, Georgian Dream, is the political force enshrining in the Constitution that European integration is Georgia’s highest foreign policy priority. This is our strategic choice — one that is clearly defined and safeguarded by the Constitution," stated Mr.David Songulashvili.