Georgian Parliament Speaker urges EU to end anti-Georgian rhetoric and disinformation

The main responsibility for today’s strained relations between Georgia and the European Union lies with European leaders who have turned this relationship into a hostage of their own political agenda, said on Tuesday Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

In his remarks while presenting the annual report of the Parliament’s activities, Papuashvili noted that Brussels is fully aware of the steps needed to restore relations with Georgia to the dignified framework in which they should develop.

“First and foremost, the EU must respect democracy - the rule of the people. Imposing political will from abroad on the Georgian people, or attempting to create a surrogate ‘Georgian people’ tailored to someone else’s preferences, is a blatant denial of democracy. Today, Brussels’ policies are obstructing, rather than supporting, Georgian democracy”, the speaker said.

“Second, the EU must respect the rule of law. Brussels has repeatedly failed in international courts concerning Georgia’s judiciary, yet continues to arrogantly question its decisions. It lost cases in the ECHR involving Saakashvili, Melia, Gvaramia, Akhalaia, and Rustavi 2; it lost arbitration cases in Paris and Washington in the Khazaradze matter. All cases that were politically framed over the years were ultimately judged differently by law. Repeating the same accusations now is no longer about upholding the rule of law - it is purely political propaganda. Therefore, Brussels must finally and clearly reaffirm its commitment to the rule of law and disassociate from violence and politically motivated crimes as instruments of political influence”, he continued.

Papuashvili further stressed that disinformation and anti-Georgian rhetoric coming from Brussels and other EU capitals must end.

“If the EU really wants to improve relations with Georgia, the way is simple: respect the Georgian people, respect their democratic choice and respect the values ​​that are called European values. There is simply no other way”, he concluded.