The European Union has offered Georgia membership. This means that we have invited you to live together in the living room – sometimes young Georgians ask me, do we have to give up our traditions, our religion, our national pride? No, not at all, – German Ambassador Peter Fischer says in a video recorded for the Iliauni Student Movement.
As Fischer noted, Georgians have an invitation and an opportunity to join the space of peace, democracy and prosperity, although “under the current course of the Georgian government, this will not be possible”.
“Georgia and Germany, Georgia and the European Union, have big plans together. The European Union has offered Georgia membership. This means that we have invited you to live together in the living room. The European Union is the foundation of our freedom, our peace and our prosperity.
I think every citizen of Georgia knows what the European Union is. After all, so many people visit the European Union, visit our member states. Many live in our countries. Many emigrate to our countries. We have an old historical connection and Georgians have an invitation, I think, an opportunity to join this space of peace, democracy and prosperity.
Unfortunately, under the current course of the Georgian government, this will not be possible.
Therefore, many things are at risk. One of them is the right to travel to the European Union without a visa. We want Georgians to visit us whenever they want as welcome guests and friends. You know that the European Union is a project of peace, but also of democracy, fundamental rights, non-discrimination, the rule of law. These are all key elements.
We are 27 Member States. We are extremely diverse. No one in the European Union has to give up their culture, values and traditions. If you just think about the people of the European Union, if you take someone from Malta, Latvia, Denmark or Bulgaria, we all have EU citizenship, but we all have different traditions and backgrounds.
Sometimes young Georgians ask me, should we give up our traditions, our religion, our national pride? No, not at all. Each country has its own tradition. Its own religion. You know, in the European Union we have religion. After all, for example, the Pope lives in the middle of the European Union and we have many, many Christians, Catholics, Protestants, representatives of other faiths. We have freedom of religion. And so, let’s continue together this path. This is my desire and call to return to what we have achieved over the past 30 years. From the beginning of 2024, I think, Georgia has been moving away from the European Union. This is not what we want. We want your membership. We want you to have visa liberalization. We want to continue and deepen our friendship, this is the essence of Europe,” the ambassador noted.
Peter Fischer: From the beginning of 2024, I think Georgia has been moving away from the EU – this is not what we want, we want your membership, we want you to have visa liberalization
