Georgian Parliament Speaker rejects German Ambassador’s remarks on EU path

Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday sharply criticised remarks made by Peter Fischer, the German ambassador to the country, regarding Georgia’s European integration path, stating that the country does not intend to follow the same route toward the European Union as Ukraine or Moldova.

The speaker’s comments came in response to the ambassador’s statement that “Georgia has separated itself from the common path toward the European Union shared by Ukraine and Moldova”.

In a social media message, Papuashvili noted that Ukraine’s path toward EU membership involves giving up territories, while Moldova’s path entails abolishing its own statehood.

“Someone should explain to this person [Peter Fischer] once again that Georgia does not intend to follow either the path chosen by Ukraine or the one chosen by Moldova toward the European Union - the very course they cold-bloodedly tried to force upon us in 2022”, he said.

He further claimed that “today it is clear to everyone” that Ukraine’s EU aspirations come at the cost of territorial concessions, referring to comments made by the German chancellor, while Moldova’s path involves unification with another state, citing statements by the Moldovan president.

Papuashvili also accused foreign actors of attempting to normalise the idea that territories should be viewed “as a burden” and independence “as an unnecessary responsibility”, arguing that such attitudes are being promoted as prerequisites for opening the doors to the European Union.

“This is the direction they are pulling us toward and trying to make us accept - to view territories as a burden and independence as an unnecessary responsibility, the removal of which would immediately open the doors of the European Union for us. This is precisely the Trojan horse of the 21st century”, he concluded.