On December 5, the Chairman of the ruling party Irakli Kobakhidze begins a four-day visit to Budapest, the capital of Hungary. The visit comes amidst an apparent divergence of opinions over the European Union’s enlargement process and against the background of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recently statement that “There is no place for it on the agenda of the December EUCO!”.
Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán’s sent a letter to European Council President Charles Michel demanding a review of the EU’s policy on Ukraine, and threatening to use Hungary’s veto power to block the disbursement of a planned €50 billion in aid to Ukraine, disrupting the bloc’s steadfast support for Kyiv. Experts suggest that Orbán’s opposition goes beyond Ukraine and threatens the entire enlargement package, which could also jeopardize Georgia’s candidacy.
The delegation, led by Kobakhidze, comprises First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Gia Volski, Chairman of the European Integration Committee Maka Bochorishvili, and parliamentary majority member Irakli Mezurnishvili.
The Georgian delegation will meet with Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semien, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly János Latorcai, Chairwoman of the Committee on European Union Affairs Judith Vargas, and Minister of EU Affairs János Bóka.
More to follow …