Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili stated that Georgia continues to receive strong backing from its European partners on the path to EU integration. However, he claimed that relations between Georgia and Brussels are currently hindered by a complex regional political context with multiple contributing factors.
Papuashvili expressed optimism that the EU accession process would progress more smoothly once what he called “unfair approaches” toward Georgia are eliminated.
He pointed to two main issues shaping European perceptions:
“Firstly, the European Union is under immense strain due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. In this context, some political groups in Europe held misguided expectations that Georgia would adopt a more confrontational stance, despite the fact that, unlike others, we are not shielded by NATO or EU economic solidarity.
Secondly, certain political factions in Europe are defending our former authoritarian leader, Mikheil Saakashvili. They are not only attempting to shield him from justice but are also seeking to restore his political influence. Once these two misguided attitudes are addressed, Georgia will be able to break free from this political impasse,” Papuashvili said.
The Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia has left for Budapest, the capital of Hungary, where he will participate in the Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of the European Union Member States and Partner Countries.
The Speaker of the Parliament is scheduled to deliver a speech at both sessions of the event. Also, Shalva Papuashvili will hold bilateral meetings in Budapest as part of the visit.
The Georgian delegation, led by the Speaker of the Parliament, includes Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Levan Makhashvili, Chairman of the European Integration Committee. The visit will end on May 12.
