Parliament Committee Chair says Georgian parties united against Russian occupation, no pro-Kremlin stance

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said there were no political parties in Georgia that were holding an officially pro-Russian stance.

In an interview with a Romanian outlet, Samkharadze attributed the development to Russia's status as an occupying state, asserting that it has no friends among Georgian citizens.

“We do not have parties in Georgia that hold an official pro-Russian position, because Russia is an occupying state that has no friends among the citizens of Georgia”, the Parliament official said.

He further elaborated that consequently, “no political party in Georgia, regardless of whether it has parliamentary representation, supports policies favourable to Russia”.

Samkharadze acknowledged that “there are, of course, individuals who say about certain parties that they have a cautious attitude towards Russia and are in favour of good relations with Russia. However, there is no pro-Russian party”.

He further explained that this sentiment was reflected in the widespread support for European integration among Georgian political parties.

“This is precisely why the majority of political parties in Georgia, at least symbolically, claim they want the country to become a member of the European Union. This aspiration is shared by the majority of Georgian citizens. According to public opinion polls, over 80 percent of Georgians want their country to join the European Union. Political parties, in turn, largely reflect this public sentiment”, he concluded.