European Affairs Ministers are making statement ahead of the informal meeting in Stockholm, Sweden.

“We are working very closely with Georgia, and Ireland is very supportive of Georgia in that process. I recently met with the Ambassador of Georgia to Ireland and discussed many of the pressing issues and the reform that their country is going through, so we will absolutely support them in that reform.

It’s important that we ensure that countries, who are coming into Europe, have met with all the chapters on the Acquis and are familiar with them and that they have met that threshold because that makes it easier for the operability of the European Union post-accession. So we’re really working hard with Georgia.

We support them along the process, and any assistance that they need to reach that threshold, we will obviously be forthcoming in that regard because, as I said previously, it’s very important for us as Irish people. Irish citizens, we realize the transformational effect membership in the European Union can have. And we saw that in our country over the last 50 years. It’s been quite incredible. It’s been potentially one of the biggest policy, public policy tools that have had an enormous catalyst in how we transform our economy and how we operate, and how we look as a more outward-looking economy post our membership of the European Union”, - said Peter Burke, Minister of State for European Affairs and for Defence of Ireland.

“We are really looking forward to hearing today during the lunch, informal oral brief on the progress of each of the three countries. Yes, we are fully aware of all expressed assessments of the Commission.

We will be following it very closely and for Georgia, what counts is that for the first time, it has an open European perspective and it needs to seize the opportunity and seize the moment. And we will be their strong supporter also in their own endeavours, but they need to do their homework by themselves.

We will be seeing how things will be evolving throughout this year because the decision will be taken in December. There’ll be the final assessment on the fulfilment of the required conditions. Absolutely, and I would say that the open-door policy is already in place and enforced. And the faster the candidate countries are able to fulfil the criteria and to transform themselves because the process matters. It is not the ultimate goal of entering the EU.

The value of the process need also to be accepted, or confirmed because this is what is important. Aligning with the EU policies, with the foreign and common security policy, undertaking all the reforms in order to be fit for the future membership”, - said Andreja Metelko-Zgombic, State Secretary for European Affairs of Croatia.

“I’ve met so many committed Georgians that really want to be part of the EU. Unfortunately, what we heard from the commission so far, the government is not living up to those expectations at the moment. The reform pace is not where it should be, and it’s very clear that Georgian citizens demand their government to fulfil these reform priorities, not only for the sake of coming to the EU but also because it will make Georgia a freer country, a country that is more based on the rule of law.

Well, what we heard so far from the Commission, and we will hear more details today, is that really when it comes to the rule of law and judicial reform, there are a lot of issues. There were discussions also about how civil society has been treated, and we’ll learn more details later.

But for Germany, it’s very clear we would like to see Georgia in the EU and we are really supporting everyone in Georgia who wants to go on that path”, - added Anna Luhrmann, Minister of State for Europe and Climate at the German Federal Foreign Office.