On 21 August, an informal meeting on the enlargement of the European Union was held in Athens, Greece, attended by the Presidents of the EU Commission and the European Council, as well as the Presidents of Ukraine, Moldova, and the leaders of the Western Balkans.
Georgia was notably absent from this key meeting ahead of the EU's decision in December on whether to grant it candidate status.
Neither the Georgian Prime Minister's office nor the Foreign Ministry issued any statement on the Athens meeting or the reasons for Georgia's absence.
Georgian MFA’s European Integration Department head Archil Karaulashvili, responding to journalists’ questions said Georgia was absent because the meeting was devoted to the war in Ukraine, not the EU enlargement.
Following the summit, a declaration was issued expressing support for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
The document makes no mention of Georgia.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a pivotal moment for Europe, creating a new level of awareness of shared principles, unity, and common future within the EU,” the declaration reads.
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