Georgia’s Foreign Minister, Maka Botchorishvili, stated that “Georgia has not suspended anything; it is for Brussels to decide when the Georgian people can begin dialogue on European Union accession.”

Asked why Georgia was not invited to the EU enlargement forum, Botchorishvili responded:

“There are no more questions left about who has suspended the European integration process and who is behind it. No one can erase a country from the map. Georgia has been part of this map for centuries and will remain so.

There is an attempt to exploit such meetings for political speculation, which the EU continues to do. This only highlights the absurdity of Georgia’s so-called suspension in the European integration process, while the EU itself does not invite Georgia to the enlargement meeting.

The questions are no longer uncertain: who has suspended the process and who is responsible? Georgia has not halted anything; that decision lies with Brussels. It is up to Brussels to decide when the Georgian people, whom they claim to support, will be allowed to engage in dialogue about EU membership.”