The Georgian government refuses to open negotiations with the European Union until 2028. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze made an official statement about this at a special briefing held at the party office.

"We are a proud and self-respecting nation with a great history. Accordingly, it is categorically unacceptable for us to consider integration into the European Union as a mercy that the EU should grant us. We see that European politicians and bureaucrats are using the allocated grants and loans to blackmail Georgia," Kobakhidze said, adding that the country will not be ready to raise the issue of opening negotiations with the EU until the end of 2028.

"Today we have decided not to put the issue of opening negotiations with the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028. We are also refusing any budget grants from the EU until the end of 2028. The end of 2028 is the time when Georgia will be ready, economically prepared, to begin negotiations on joining the European Union in 2030. We intend not to enter the EU begging and standing on one leg, but to join the EU with dignity, with a functioning democratic system and a strong economy," Kobakhidze said, although he did not answer additional questions from media representatives.

It is noteworthy that a day before Kobakhidze's statement, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said in an interview with Rustavi 2 TV that joining the EU would require significant concessions from Georgia. He made a number of anti-Western statements, adding that "on one side there is integration with the EU, and on the other side, there is disintegration with many countries."

"We were protected in the Soviet Union, and our borders were not violated there, but does this mean that European and Lithuanian politicians should come here and speak to us in the tone of a big brother? It seems that they watched Moscow so much in their time that now they are trying to play the role of Moscow," Papuashvili said.

Moreover, he likened the EU's policy in Georgia to the Russian occupation: "There is military intervention and political intervention. When you have political intervention and interfere in the internal affairs of another country, you interfere in the election campaign, what should we call it? There is also political intervention. Some people want to play the role of big brother, and when we signed the Association Agreement, we did not sign for someone to play the role of big brother and act as auditors," Papuashvili said. According to him, joining the EU "also means restrictions, giving up part of sovereignty, and relinquishing economic freedom."

"What do you think, if we became members of the European Union today, do you know how many free trade agreements we would have to cancel, even with China and many CIS member states? We would have to cancel all of this," Shalva Papuashvili told Rustavi 2 TV.