Georgian, Romanian Parliament officials discuss strategic partnership, Russian occupation, EU, NATO integration

Bilateral relations between Georgia and Romania as well as development of the strategic partnership action plan were discussed on Friday in a meeting between the officials of the Georgian Parliament and the Romanian Senate.

The meeting involved Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Committee on European Integration of the Georgian Parliament, Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Titus Corlăţean, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Romanian Senate, Mihai Cotet, the Chair of the European Affairs Committee, and Elena-Adelina Dobra, the Chair of the Education Committee.

The discussions encompassed economic initiatives and the scheduled joint meeting of the Economic Committees in Tbilisi.

The officials highlighted the importance of exchanging visits and further developing cooperation in culture and education.

“During the meeting, we discussed the [Russian] occupation [of the Georgian regions]. We informed our Romanian counterparts about the situation in the occupied regions of Georgia, including the so-called presidential elections held in Abkhazia. We extended our gratitude to Romania for condemning these so-called elections, for supporting the territorial integrity of our country, and for denouncing the occupation. We underscored the regrettable fact that all European countries fail to adhere to the Romanian model”, Samkharadze said.

The parties also reviewed the political situation and the ongoing processes in the two countries and touched upon the EU and NATO integration of Georgia.

“We engaged in a comprehensive discussion on the EU membership of Georgia, addressing the ongoing challenges that persist at this critical juncture. We underscored the concerns raised by our country and the EU, and explored potential solutions and dialogue formats to restore the customary framework of the process. We emphasised that our sole appeal lies in upholding a fair and impartial stance towards Georgia. We asked that our Romanian counterparts raise this matter at a European level. We also discussed NATO integration prospects. Romania is one of the strongest supporters of our NATO membership, but as we understand, NATO membership is not yet relevant due to the developments in Ukraine. We have received information that Ukraine is no longer considered a NATO member. In light of this, we would like to request that Romania clarify its stance on this matter”, Samkharadze concluded.