EU aware of needed steps for Georgia relations, says Parliament Speaker

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said the European Union was aware of the steps it needs to take to restore relations with Georgia.

In his remarks regarding the restoration of relations with the European Union, Papuashvili expressed disappointment that the EU had not taken decisive action, contrasting their approach with that of the new US administration.

“Brussels knows very well what should be done. First and foremost, EU funds should not be used to fund violence, propaganda, or hate speech in Georgia, nor to interfere in elections, as we have unfortunately witnessed. These are precisely the concerns the Georgian people have expressed”, the Speaker said.

He added that following the US administration’s public acknowledgment of the misuse of foreign assistance, the Georgian Government had expected the EU to critically assess how its funds had been used to support harmful processes in Georgia and other countries.

“We learned, for example, that the Molotov Cocktail campaign was funded from EU funds, as were radical parties, which is prohibited by law. We saw EU funding for propaganda media, and we see individuals on the EU payroll - namely various NGO activists - spreading hate speech and inciting division in society”, Papuashvili noted.

He further highlighted that the Georgian public expected a critical reassessment from Brussels and emphasised that such steps were essential to restoring trust and returning EU-Georgia relations to a constructive path.

“Unfortunately, we have yet to see decisive action. Brussels continues to avoid these problems rather than confront them directly, as the US administration did. But no matter how much it tries to hide the issue, harmful practices will inevitably come to light and damage the EU’s reputation, including in the eyes of the Georgian people”, Papuashvili concluded.