Georgia Creates Anti-Corruption Bureau To Obtain EU Candidate Status - Prime Minister

TBILISI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st March, 2023) Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday announced the establishment of an anti-corruption bureau in the country as part of its effort to meet conditions for obtaining the candidate status for EU membership.

"This is the fourth recommendation on the list out of 12 points provided to us, which is set to strengthen the anti-corruption mechanism. The department is highly independent, including financially. It is liable only to the Georgian parliament and the interdepartmental council for fighting corruption," Garibashvili said during the bureau's presentation.

Razhden Kuprashvili, who had earlier served as the director of legal aid department of Georgia's state police, was appointed as the head of the anti-corruption bureau, the Georgian prime minister added.

In March 2022, Georgia applied for the status of EU membership candidate along with Ukraine and Moldova. At a top-level summit in June of that year, the European Council granted candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, but not to Georgia, saying that Tbilisi had yet to implement the recommended reforms, including strengthening its democratic institutions, maintaining fundamental rights and freedoms, tackling corruption, combating organized crime, and involving civil society in decision-making processes.