Georgian Parliament Speaker links Georgia’s export growth to national economic policies

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday linked the country’s export growth to its economic policies, contrasting Georgia’s performance with that of many EU member states.

Papuashvili commented on National Statistics Office data showing that Georgia’s exports increased by 19.6% in January-September 2026.

“This is the result of sound policies that put Georgia’s national interests first, unlike the governments of many EU countries. The interests of our people lie in improving their well-being, and we are achieving these results”, he said.

Papuashvili noted that he had recently attended a conference of speakers of parliament from Council of Europe member states in Rome, where he had discussed the economic situation in Georgia and other countries with European counterparts.

“I recently visited Rome, where a conference of Speakers of Parliament from Council of Europe member states was held. During the conference, I had the opportunity to speak with my European counterparts in formal meetings and other settings. We discussed the situation in our respective countries, including Georgia’s economic growth of 7.5%”, he said.

“Some say that Georgia envies other countries, but believe us, many countries envy these figures, when the next country in the EU after us has only half our economic growth rate”, the Parliament Speaker continued.

He added that the weak economic performance of EU member states stemmed from policies that ran counter to the interests of European citizens, with growth rates in EU member and candidate countries hovering around zero.

“Those who do not follow Brussels are winning, while those who do are losing”, Papuashvili concluded.