Georgia's PM meets European leaders in Tirana, signalling EU thaw
A short, but warm encounter between the Georgian premier and French President Emmanuel Macron during the summit signalled that Georgia and the EU are turning the page on their past differences.
Kobakhidze underlined this moment by telling journalists that 'there was a period of limited communication (between Georgia and the EU) and it seems our European partners were eager to restore ties with Georgia.'
The Georgian prime minister explained the thaw by his country's 'vital role for Europe' adding that 'everyone understands the need to engage with Georgia and its leadership, and this is likely why many initiatives have come from European leaders.'
'Everyone should recognise Georgia's strategic importance for Europe, especially for the eurozone. Our role in the region is significant, and that's why the need for dialogue with Georgian leaders is increasingly acknowledged,' he said.
The EU gave Georgia candidate status in December 2023 but halted its membership application process indefinitely and cut financial support last June after the passage of a "foreign influence" law that the bloc considered to be Russian-inspired and authoritarian, on the backdrop of massive anti-government protests in the capital Tbilisi.
Then after winning the general elections last October, Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would pause discussions on its bid to join the EU until 2028 due to what the prime minister described then as "blackmail and manipulation" from some of the bloc's politicians.
In an interview with Euronews in November, Kobakhidze said the ball was in Brussels' court, emphasising that he was still "very optimistic" that his country would obtain EU membership by 2030, describing it as key strategic objective for Georgia.
Kobakhidze was reappointed in November as prime minister by the ruling Georgian Dream party, in power since 2012, but his election victory sparked massive demonstrations.
Opposition forces — including Georgia's former president Salome Zourabichvili —condemned the election results as a "total falsification" of the vote. The European Parliament in November adopted a resolution condemning the vote and calling for new elections to be held under international supervision.
And then on Friday, Kobakhidze announced that he chose the EPC as 'a significant event where discussions will focus on the main messages concerning our country's fundamental national interests.'
The European Political Community summit in Tirana which brings together heads of state and government of almost 40 countries, both EU and non-members.
'I am ready to speak with everyone—let's see how it unfolds. This format allows us to engage with many leaders on issues related to our country's development, regional stability, and Georgia's European integration,' the Georgian prime minister signalled to participating leaders.
And then as the summit was about to start, Macron approached Kobakhidze to have a brief but apparently warm exchange, amounting to a symbolic change of tone between Georgia and the EU.
The summit video also showed Kobakhidze talking to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The Georgian prime minister also held formal talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a long-time supporter of the Georgian government.
Kobakhidze explained this political evolution as a result of Georgia's 'key position' in the South Caucasus region.
'Over the years, we have made significant contributions to strengthening peace and stability in the region, and we remain committed to acting in this spirit moving forward,' Kobakhidze told Georgian journalists in Albania.
'We are connecting two neighbouring countries—Azerbaijan and Armenia—with Europe. Moreover, Georgia is undertaking several important projects with its neighbours that significantly improve connectivity," Kobakhidze said.
"I believe this is of utmost importance not only for Georgia but also for Europe and the European Union, as it helps forge stronger links between the EU and our region,' the Georgian prime minister concluded.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
30 minutes ago
- Euronews
Romania, NATO and sham accounts: Fake Euronews content persists online
ADVERTISEMENT Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has intensified a specific kind of propaganda campaign, which consists of digitally altering and faking news reports from mainstream news outlets. For instance, a news segment which was aired on the Euronews programme Good Morning Romania in February recently surfaced on pro-Russian social media accounts and Telegram channels. They took a statement made by Cristian Diaconescu, head of Romania's presidential chancellery, out of context, to make it seem like he supported the idea of Romania leaving NATO and joining Russia. "Romania must join Russia. We don't need NATO," the caption superimposed onto the video reads. The accounts that reposted the clip cut it short and inserted Romanian and Russian flags, as well as the communist hammer and sickle symbol, to further push a pro-Kremlin narrative. In the real report broadcast in February, Diaconescu suggested that Moscow wants NATO to revert its security guarantees to what they were in 1997. This would mean that countries that joined the alliance after 1997, such as Romania, wouldn't be covered, according to the report. In 1997, there were 16 NATO countries compared to today's 32. Back then, the alliance was mostly confined to Western Europe, the US and Canada, sharing a relatively small border with Russia via the northeastern part of Norway. Romania officially joined NATO in 2004, around the time many other European countries that had historically been under Soviet influence, or indeed forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union, were doing the same, including Bulgaria and the Baltics. Diaconescu also said that Russia wants to unilaterally establish a sphere of influence over Eastern Europe and force the West to accept it. He later clarified that neither issue is up for discussion, and that Russia's President Vladimir Putin first released the information at the beginning of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as potential measures he would accept to stop his offensive. Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected any of the allegations made in the fake Euronews report, stating that it amounts to a typical line of attack by pro-Russian actors. Other Euronews bureaus have also been targeted, with fake Instagram and Telegram accounts which purport to be Euronews' Uzbekistan bureaus also cropping up recently. This comes as the pro-Russian Matryoshka campaign ramps up its efforts to spread disinformation in Moldova, ahead of its elections, often in the form of fake Euronews reports, in addition to videos allegedly created by other reputable news outlets. EuroVerify has already debunked various instances of this, including false Euronews videos posted by fake journalists alleging criminality in Moldova, and others claiming that Romania cautioned French authorities over interference in the Romanian presidential election runoff.
Euronews
30 minutes ago
- Euronews
European leaders show cautious optimism towards Ukraine talks outcome
As they emerged from talks in the White House, European leaders expressed guarded optimism that US President Donald Trump could be finding momentum in his quest to fulfil his campaign promise of ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The leaders of France, Germany, Finland, Italy and the UK, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO chief Mark Rutte showed a united front in the talks with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said after the meeting that there was 'real progress' and a 'real sense of unity.' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said all the parties were working together on 'a lasting and durable peace.' Praise mixed with caution While they heaped praise on Trump for committing to security guarantees for Ukraine, they also suggested forging a temporary ceasefire is not off the table. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said 'the path is open now' to halting the fighting but next steps are 'more complicated.' 'I don't want to hide the fact that I wasn't sure it would go this way — it could have gone differently,' he said. 'But my expectations were not just met, they were exceeded.' 'Let's try to put pressure on Russia,' Merz said, adding that he would like to see a ceasefire come together. Trump was noncommittal, saying, 'If we can do the ceasefire, great,' but suggested it was far from a dealbreaker. Following his meeting with Putin on Friday, Trump dropped his demand for an immediate ceasefire and said he would look to secure a final peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine — a sudden shift to a position favoured by Putin. Support for trilateral meeting The 'most important' outcome of the meeting was the 'US commitment to work with us on providing security guarantees' to Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said. Macron told reporters that the participants of Monday's talks are willing to set up a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy 'in the coming days' and the trilateral meeting including Trump 'by two to three weeks.' He added that he has 'the greatest doubt' about Putin's will to stop the war. Merz said that such a meeting 'must, like all meetings, be well-prepared; we will do this with President Zelenskyy.' He said he doesn't currently know what the meeting could produce. He stressed that the Europeans and Americans will need to discuss who participates in the security guarantees and to what extent. 'It's completely clear that the whole of Europe should participate,' he said. 'This is not just about the territory of Ukraine,' he added. 'It's about the political order of Europe.' Asked about the possibility of German peacekeeping troops, he said it was too early to give a final answer. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said membership is not on the table, but the US and European leaders are discussing 'Article 5 kind of security guarantees for Ukraine.' Article 5 of the NATO treaty says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all members, the heart of the transatlantic defence pact. Details around US involvement in Ukraine 'will be discussed over the coming days,' which will give Zelenskyy the clarity he needs to decide whether Ukrainians can remain safe following a peace deal.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Bored of your beach read? Dive into these politicians' steamy novels
They say that inspiration comes from the most unexpected places. But who would have thought that a public office setting could inspire romantic – and oftentimes dark and even forbidden- erotic fantasies? Those politicians from Spain, France, Austria or the UK used their own experience and put on paper their romantic or sexual life. Here are their stories. Think of this not as a reading list, but as a peek into a rather unexpected literary niche. Thomas Oberreiter, Austrian Ambassador to the European Union (2023-2025) At the end of July, a story made jaws drop in Brussels: Austria's representative to the EU institutions was accused of running a blog with highly explicit content. Written from a female perspective, the blog includes scenes depicting sadomasochistic encounters – and at times, descriptions of non-consensual sex – allegedly authored by the 59-year-old male diplomat. Despite Oberreiter denying any involvement in the blog, media investigations traced its posts to IP addresses and devices belonging to the Austrian Foreign Ministry. The blog was reportedly updated during working hours and from within official premises. After more than 30 years as a diplomat in Europe and Mexico, Oberreiter resigned as the controversy erupted in Brussels. He has not responded to requests for comment. Quote to remember (or you wish you could forget): 'We were meat, nothing more. Women. Vessels for men's semen.' Marlene Schiappa, in the French government from 2017 to 2023. Secretary of State for Gender Equality (2017-2020), Minister Delegate in charge of Citizenship (2020-2022) & State Secretary for the Social and Solidarity Economy (2022-2023) Long before entering ministerial office, Marlène Schiappa had already turned to erotic writing under the pen name Marie Minelli. Among her titles are Osez les sexfriends, Comment transformer votre mec en Brad Pitt en 30 jours, and Sexe, mensonge et banlieues chaudes. When the existence of these books was revealed at the time of her appointment as Secretary of State for Gender Equality, she faced numerous attacks, which she described as sexist. 'I have a colleague in government who is well known to have written a novel. No one ever teases him about it, no one even mentions it. It's seen as normal: it's a bit cheeky, but that's fine, he's a man, he's allowed,' she once remarked. Ultimately, she has not hidden her past and has defended these works as a way of challenging society's views on women's relationship to sexuality. Schiappa is a prolific author. During her time in office, she published 11 books under her own name and one through her 'romantic' alter ego, Marie Minelli. She has not only faced criticism for the time spent writing, but also for posing for Playboy magazine. When she appeared on the cover of the April 2023 issue, her then boss, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, reportedly called her to say the interview was 'inappropriate'. Three months later, when the government was reshuffled, her name (as well as the one of Marie Minelli) was quietly left off the list. Quote to remember (or wish you could forget): 'I open my mouth as wide as I can, and Amaury ejaculates uncontrollably all over my face, shouting in a high-pitched voice: 'Vive la France! Vive la France! Vive la France!'' Minelli, M. (2014). Sexe, mensonges et Banlieues Chaudes. La Musardine. Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of the Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty (2017-2024) Another minister in the same government also published books containing erotic scenes. Bruno Le Maire, who has served as Minister of the Economy since Emmanuel Macron's election in 2017 and previously held office under then-president Nicolas Sarkozy, is generally known for his serious, polished demeanour. But in 2023, at the height of the pension reform crisis, the publication of his novel Fugue américaine revealed a different side of the minister's personality. In this nearly 500-page novel, Le Maire tells the story of two brothers visiting Cuba in 1949 for a concert by pianist Vladimir Horowitz. Rather than the musical reflections or the cultural clash between East and West, it was a particularly explicit passage involving a young man named Oskar that drew public attention. The scene was widely shared on social media, sparking mockery online – particularly given the tense political climate – and posed a challenge for the government's communications strategy. However, this was not Bruno Le Maire's first time. In 2004, he published Le Ministre, a narrative based on his experience as adviser to Dominique de Villepin, then Minister of Foreign Affairs. In it, he recounts an intimate moment with his wife: 'I let myself be enveloped by the warmth of the bath, the light of the lagoon floating through the frosted glass door, the scent of green tea soap, and Pauline's hand gently caressing my sex.' Quote to remember (or wish you could forget): "She turned her back to me; she threw herself onto the bed; she showed me the brown swell of her anus. 'Are you coming, Oskar? I'm more dilated than ever.'" Le Maire, B. (2023). Fugue américaine: Roman. Gallimard. Esteban González Pons, Spanish Member of the European Parliament (since 2014) A well-known figure on Spain's centre-right, Esteban González Pons has served as a senator and is now a Member of the European Parliament. He is Vice-President of the Parliament and a member of the Budget Committee - positions that stand in sharp contrast to his side career as a writer of romantic and erotic fiction. In 2020, he published Ellas ('They,' in the feminine, in Spanish), a novel reflecting the author's deep love for his homeland and aimed at the generation that grew up during Spain's Transition in the 1960s and 70s. The protagonist decides to reconnect with his first love, and, in a dramatic gesture to catch her attention, sends her a suicide letter. What surprises readers are the rather explicit passages, which have drawn comparisons to Fifty Shades of Grey with some media renaming him 'González Porn'. In a 2022 interview, he brushed off these criticisms: "Journalists are very shocked when a love novel includes sex. Maybe it's because sexual education is lacking in journalism faculties". Quote to remember (or wish you could forget): "…that indifferent nudity conveyed the fullness of a mother goddess whose mons veneris would have welcomed the charge of a warrior galloping last night. She rested as pleased as a sexual praying mantis, exhausted after having swallowed her lover through the vagina, digested him in the womb, and finally expelled him again, allowed him to be reborn." Pons, E. G. (2020). Ellas. Espasa. Cleo Watson & Edwina Currie, United Kingdom Cleo Watson, a former Conservative political aide and special adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, made headlines in 2023 with her debut novel, Whips. The book blends Westminster intrigue with office romances and personal entanglements. The novel ranges from a clandestine romance between rival Tory and Labour candidates who meet on a dating app, to the Prime Minister secretly watching porn, and even a Secretary of State answering committee questions while wearing a discreet vibrating device. Cleo Watson was part of the 'PartyGate' that led to the fall of Boris Johnson – and was even fined for it – she then published a follow-up in 2024, Cleavage. But she was not the first to write an erotic book using the UK political scene. Edwina Currie, Conservative MP for South Derbyshire from 1983 to 1997 and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health under Margaret Thatcher, also turned to fiction after leaving politics. Her 1994 novel, A Parliamentary Affair, interweaves Westminster manoeuvres with intimate relationships, exploring the personal dramas of those working in the high-pressure world of politics. Currie's writing is partly reconstructed from her real-life affair with former UK Prime Minister John Major.
