Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has criticized attempts to manipulate Georgia's European integration process, calling such tactics a form of "blackmail" against his country and people. Kobakhidze came to China to attend the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), running from Nov. 5 to 10 in Shanghai. In an interview with China Media Group on Wednesday, Kobakhidze recounted the long and arduous journey Georgia had undertaken to secure EU candidate status. "We cannot allow some forces to use European integration issue as a blackmail tool against Georgia and against Georgian people. In 2022, we applied for the candidate status in the European Union and our application has been rejected, and it took one year and a half for us to finally get the candidate status. We had to fight for it. And also this candidate status was used for the blackmail," said Kobakhidze. "And later, they started blackmailing us with the accession talks issue -- opening the accession talks with the European Union, which is not fine because it was finally creating the turbulence also domestically in Georgia. We have, of course, still our goal to become a full-fledged member of the European Union. But we want to continue on that path only in accordance with the rules and in accordance to the principle of fairness. So, that's our general approach," he said. In November last year, Kobakhidze, backed by the Georgian parliament, put off the nation's EU accession talks for four years, citing "blackmail and manipulation" by European politicians. He said that Georgia would not pursue negotiations or accept EU grants until 2028. The video shows: Tbilisi, Georgia - 2016 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 1. Various of national flag of Georgia, flag of European Union, government building Shanghai, China - Nov 5, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgian Prime Minister (starting with shot 1/partially overlaid with shots 3-7/ending with shot 8): "We cannot allow some forces to use European integration issue as a blackmail tool against Georgia and against Georgian people. In 2022, we applied for the candidate status in the European Union and our application has been rejected, and it took one year and a half for us to finally get the candidate status. We had to fight for it. And also this candidate status was used for the blackmail. And later, they started blackmailing us with the accession talks issue -- opening the accession talks with the European Union, which is not fine because it was finally creating the turbulence also domestically in Georgia. We have, of course, still our goal to become a full-fledged member of the European Union. But we want to continue on that path only in accordance with the rules and in accordance to the principle of fairness. So, that's our general approach." ++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ Tbilisi, Georgia - 2016 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 3. Freedom Square, traffic 4. St. George statue, national flag of Georgia Brussels, Belgium - July 2, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 5. Various of European Union (EU) flags, Berlaymont building (headquarters of European Commission) Brussels, Belgium - June 27, 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 6. EU flags, Berlaymont building Brussels, Belgium - Dec 15, 2022 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 7. EU flags ++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ Tbilisi, Georgia - 2016 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 8. Various of cityscape, traffic Tbilisi, Georgia - May 2022 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 9. Freedom Square, traffic [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]