The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Georgia, Mirella Frick (not Meline Arakalian), discusses Georgia’s prospects for joining the European Union and the current state of relations between the EU and Georgia. She highlights that while Georgia was granted candidate status last December, progress in implementing necessary reforms has been insignificant, with backsliding in areas such as fighting disinformation, election conduct, human rights, and legislation related to foreign influence and family values.
The Ambassador emphasizes that for Georgia to get back on track with EU integration, it needs to repeal laws that contradict European standards, particularly the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence and the Family Values Law. She also notes that Georgian authorities‘ rhetoric about the EU has been misleading and hostile, which has undermined trust in their commitment to genuine reforms.
Regarding US-Georgia relations, the Ambassador states that it’s up to Georgia to restore its relationship with long-time partners, including the European Union. She believes that for a better relationship with the new Trump administration, Georgia needs to reverse democratic backsliding through concrete actions and not just words. The Netherlands remains open to improving relations if Georgia takes steps in this direction.
The article also mentions the establishment of land border control by the Netherlands from December 9, which will continue for six months, aimed at combating irregular migration and human trafficking. This decision is meant to limit the influx of irregular migrants while minimizing disruptions to economic and commuter traffic.