In a recent address to journalists, Pawel Herczynski, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, emphasized the importance of fair and free elections in the country, scheduled for October 26. He expressed hope that the elections would proceed without incident, but also outlined the EU's position should the electoral process fail to meet democratic standards.

"We are in contact with the OSCE/ODIHR core group. I know they have big plans to have a significant number of international observers before, during and after the elections. We are supporting local civil society organizations like ISFED, which will also observe the elections, and we await their assessments And based on those assessments, we will decide whether we will consider these elections to be fair and free. If, and I sincerely hope, we will not come to that, but if the elections are not considered fair and free, then unfortunately we will be forced to restore the measures we have and that is what we did in the past in relation to other countries, including Belarus" Herczynski stated.

"The worst-case scenario, I hope we don't come to this," he remarked, underscoring the EU's readiness to collaborate with any government that emerges from a fair electoral process.

He reiterated that it is solely up to the Georgian people to decide their future on election day. For Georgia to align with the EU, Herczynski emphasized the necessity of adhering to fundamental EU principles: democracy, rule of law, and respect for human rights. These, he noted, are non-negotiable tenets for any nation aspiring to join the European Union.

"The main issue is that if Georgia wants to join the European Union, if it wants to become part of the European Union family, we have the conditions for that. We did not create these conditions specifically for Georgia, they are conditions that apply to all countries that want to join the European Union. That is why we need very serious reforms, and it is also necessary that the basic principles on which the European Union is based be fully respected. These principles are widely known: democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights, including the rights of minorities. These are basic principles that are not subject to negotiation. So, if Georgia wants to become a part of the EU family, these principles must be fully respected" - the EU Ambassador said. 

In conclusion, Herczynski expressed optimism for a peaceful electoral process, stating that if the elections are conducted fairly, the EU would recognize their outcomes and engage with the newly elected government.