Georgia will “immediately” apply for EU membership, the Black Sea nation’s ruling party said Wednesday, a day after the European Parliament backed war-torn
Highlights
- Georgia will “immediately” apply for EU membership, the Black Sea nation’s ruling party said Wednesday.
- Decision follows a day after the European Parliament backed war-torn Ukraine’s bid to apply for membership.
- The vote was seen in Georgia as a window of opportunity to advance its own EU aspirations.
- Both Georgia and Ukraine have signed association agreements with the EU “on economic integration and political approximation,” and free trade, which give no guarantee for an eventual membership.
- Last year, the Georgian government announced its intention to apply to EU membership in 2024, a year before last year’s referendum.
- The two countries’ efforts to forge closer ties with the West has long angered Russia.