Vice-Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, Žygimantas Pavilionis, expressed disappointment in Georgia’s stalled progress towards EU and NATO integration, attributing it to the Georgian Dream government’s current agenda.
In a response to questions about Georgia’s international positioning, Lithuanian Vice-Speaker Žygimantas Pavilionis reflected on Georgia’s once-promising path toward Euro-Atlantic integration. Pavilionis, recalling the country’s momentum post -“Rose Revolution,” lamented that under the Georgian Dream government, European Union and NATO aspirations have been sidelined.
“After the ‘Rose Revolution,’ Georgia was the champion of integration into NATO and the EU. Now, no one has time to talk about it. You must understand that if you want to join the European Union, this is the biggest test for the country. It is not only the European Council, the European Commission, the European Parliament, it is each and every government, each and every parliament, and specific committees within the parliament that must vote and say “yes”. You have at least 8 parliaments here and we actually represent 19 parliaments that have signed the joint declaration.
“Remember, accession negotiations are an intergovernmental conference. One veto is enough to stop progress. So, when your Georgian Dream tells you that they ensure membership, they are simply lying,” Žygimantas Pavilionis said.
The chairmen of the foreign relations committees of the following countries are currently in Georgia:
Germany,
Finland,
Sweden,
France
Lithuania,
Latvia,
Estonia,
Poland.
Related story: Georgia’s Parliament Speaker refuses to meet with EU delegation of parliamentarians
