Tens Of Thousands March In Georgia For EU's Membership

Tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets Monday in support of the country's membership to the European Union, days after the European Commission recommended deferring Tbilisi's candidacy

Tbilisi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Jun, 2022 ) :Tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets Monday in support of the country's membership to the European Union, days after the European Commission recommended deferring Tbilisi's candidacy.

EU leaders are expected to decide by Friday on granting candidate status to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, which applied for EU membership shortly after Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Waving Georgian and EU flags, an estimated 60,000 demonstrators gathered outside Georgian parliament on Monday evening for the "March for Europe".

The demonstration was initiated by the Black Sea nation's leading pro-democracy groups and supported by all of the opposition parties to "demonstrate the commitment of the Georgian people to its European choice and Western values".

"Europe is a historical choice and an aspiration of Georgians, for which all generations have given sacrifices," the rally organisers said on Facebook.

"Freedom, peace, economic sustainability, protection of human rights and justice are the values that unite us all, which would be guaranteed by integration into the European Union."Ahead of the rally, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, said in a televised address: "I want to salute all those who plan to gather today for the demonstration.""We must mobilise on this historical day for our country. Our message is that want a European Georgia."