On December 9, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said he hoped the European Council would make a truly European, merit-based decision on granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status.

Papuashvili added that it was expected that the Council's decision would be positive for Georgia, as well as Ukraine and Moldova, after the European Commission recommended that the Council grant Georgia the candidate status and open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. "It is important for the European Council to come up to the expectations of our people," he stressed.

"Georgia should not be held hostage to political discussions that may exist in different countries, but a decision regarding [granting] Georgia [EU candidate status] should be made based on merit," Papuashvili said.