Georgian Parliament official reaffirms European path, cites national security imperatives

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday emphasised the need for European partners to better understand the essence of Georgia’s policies, underscoring that the country acts in line with its national and security interests.

In his remarks following the Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of European Union Member and Partner Countries in Budapest, Samkharadze reiterated Georgia’s continued aspiration to join the European Union, highlighting that this goal remained unchanged both in terms of national will and constitutional commitment.

“It is important that our European friends understand the nature and core of our policies, and recognise that our actions are driven by Georgia’s national and security interests”, the Parliament official said.

“Our main message was to affirm that Georgia remains committed to European integration. We want EU membership - neither our aspirations nor our constitutional objective have changed”, he continued.

Samkharadze also addressed what he described as occasional unfair treatment by the EU toward Georgia, noting that some security challenges faced by the country were often overlooked.