US Sanctions Could Hinder Georgia's Bid for EU Candidate Status – Zurabishvili

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has expressed concern that US sanctions against four senior judges may impede the country’s efforts to gain European Union candidate status.

“I regret that with this decision our country finds itself on the list of other countries under sanctions, especially at a time when Georgia is expecting a critical decision from its European partners regarding candidate status. I am worried that the US decision will be perceived negatively in Europe,” Zurabishvili stated during a press briefing following a meeting with US Ambassador Kelly Degnan.

According to her, there is a need for effective measures to investigate possible corruption in the judiciary or to revise the composition of the Supreme Judicial Council.

Zurabishvili believes that although the US sanctions target only four individuals, they damage Georgia's reputation.

Earlier, Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili expressed in a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the sanctions would harm the friendly relations between the two countries. He demanded evidence to support the allegations of corruption against Georgian judges.

Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department Vedant Patel noted that Washington is confident in the credibility of its information. “We have credible information that these individuals have been involved in serious corruption related to their current and former positions. This corrupt activity undermines the rule of law in Georgia. It also disrupts the democratic processes in the country,” Patel stated.