"The future of Georgia is in the European Union" but "we have a long way to go" says French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna, speaking in Tbilisi during a visit to the Caucasus region. The EU denied Georgia candidate status in June 2022 while awarding it to Ukraine and Moldova, calling on Tbilisi to implement reforms to its justice and electoral systems, as well as improving press freedom and limiting the power of oligarchs. Speaking at the press conference alongside Colonna, Georgia's Foreign Minister, Ilia Dartchiachvili, says "all the reforms our country is implementing require a great deal of effort", explaining that "no one should be under any illusions that judicial reform, or any other reform, can be totally completed in just a year or two." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES