Until 2012, Georgia was a leading country in Eastern Europe - it was hard to imagine that after 11 years, the statements and actions of the Georgian government would be so anti-European, said Ana Tsitlidze, a member of the United National Movement, at the 12th session of the Georgia-EU Association Parliamentary Committee.

According to her, today Georgia has got an oligarchic system, corruption, an unfree, sanctioned court and political prisoners, however, as Tsitlidze noted, whatever the actions of the Georgian government are, the country and the Georgian people deserve to receive the candidate status.

"I am a representative of the party created by the former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili. He is now in prison thanks to the pro-Russian government and his health is in serious condition.

I have the honor to speak to you today on behalf of Mikheil Saakashvili and also on behalf of the 89 percent of Georgian citizens whose choice is Europe, and these are not just words. Our whole history is the history of struggle for freedom. 20% of our territories are still occupied today.

My people have been waiting for centuries for the geopolitical opportunity that my country now has. Generations have sacrificed for this.

Georgian citizens came out in the streets of Tbilisi to protect the European future, against the Russian law.

Until 2012, Georgia was a leading country in Eastern Europe - it was hard to imagine that after 11 years, the statements and actions of the Georgian government would be so anti-European. The propaganda of Georgian Dream leaders is that Europe wants a war and a second front in Georgia.

We got an oligarchic system, corruption, an unfree, sanctioned court, political prisoners - I can mention more here, but whatever the actions of the Georgian government to damage the European course of Georgia, my country and my people deserve the status of a candidate," said Ana Tsitlidze.

Ana Tsitlidze's statement is disseminated by National ­Movement.

*The quotes in the article have been double-translated from Georgian and wordings may be inaccurate.

source: IPN