Georgia has officially submitted a request to join the EU today, the country's prime minister announced, after Ukraine's request for membership was submitted after Russia attacked its territory.
"We are applying for EU membership," said Irakli Garibashvili in a statement after signing the letter to that effect.
"Georgia is a European country and continues to make a valuable contribution to the protection and development of Europe," he said.
An unnamed senior official of the European Union said today that after Ukraine's official application for membership in that bloc of 27 countries, the same requests are expected from Moldova and Georgia very soon.
Each request for membership implies a process that lasts for years and includes fundamental reforms and harmonization with EU standards in various areas.
A large demonstration against the Russian invasion of Ukraine was held in Georgia.
Russia has controlled two Georgian regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, since 2008, when Russian forces expelled the Georgian army from them.
The move follows Georgia's attempt to reclaim South Ossetia, which waged a separatist war against Georgia in the 1990s.
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