Parliament Committee Chair says Georgian Parliament Speaker’s visit to Budapest focuses on EU relations, geopolitical dialogue

Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Committee on European Integration of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said the ongoing visit of Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili to Budapest would be quite intensive, with a focus on Georgia’s relations with the European Union and ongoing geopolitical processes.

In his remarks, Makhashvili noted that the Speaker would deliver several addresses at the Conference of Speakers of Parliaments from EU member and partner countries, with a number of bilateral meetings scheduled.

“The visit of the Georgian Parliament Speaker to Budapest is underway, where the summit of Speakers of Parliaments from EU member and partner countries is taking place. The summit’s main objective is to discuss the EU’s vision of itself amid global geopolitical shifts, as well as internal institutional decisions that may be taken, and how to better respect the autonomy, identity, and traditions of nation states while remaining relevant to global actors and their own citizens. These will be the core topics”, the official said.

“The format involves speakers from the EU and mainly candidate countries. We will hold several bilateral meetings. The Georgian Parliament Speaker will address the conference multiple times on various topics. It will be a busy and engaging day”, he continued.

Makhashvili further stressed the themes aligned with the Conference’s agenda, making it natural for the Speaker to focus on them.

“The Speaker will deliver two main speeches at the conference. The first will focus on geopolitical changes and Georgia’s vision of itself and the EU within those changes. The second will address the role of national identities and respect for traditions on one hand, and the EU’s approach to these processes on the other”, the official noted.

He further added that the Georgian side would hold bilateral meetings with speakers from both large and smaller EU member states.

“Beyond bilateral, education, trade, and economic topics, we will also discuss Georgia-EU relations - how we envision resetting these ties, the journey so far, where we currently stand, and what steps we might take together in the future”, the official pointed out.

“These relations need to be revitalised because, in light of current geopolitical shifts, what is required of us is proactive and constructive dialogue - not the immature behavior we sometimes observe from Brussels bureaucracy”, Makhashvili concluded.