Georgia’s foreign policy serves two key domestic goals - restoring territorial integrity and improving public welfare, says Georgian Parliament Speaker

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said that the modern world requires “more dialogue, more mutual respect, and less ideological confrontation”.

In his address at the 16th Tbilisi Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, Papuashvili noted that global challenges cannot be addressed through predefined ideological answers, but instead require the exchange of diverse experiences and viewpoints, which ultimately leads to better decision-making.

“In an environment of growing international political polarisation, collective thinking, the disregard of critical opinion, the imposition of ideological constraints, and the rejection of pluralism are becoming increasingly entrenched. We remember how the general line of the Communist Party functioned, how dissenting opinions were punished, and it is regrettable that we are witnessing and recognising a similar phenomenon on an international scale today”, he said.

“It is striking that when arguments are lacking, speaking from a moral pedestal has become a refuge. Moralist rhetoric saturated with pathos is on the verge of becoming the norm in international political discourse, and we see this reflected in certain assessments of Georgia’s foreign policy”, the Speaker continued.

Papuashvili further added that Georgia’s foreign policy serves two key domestic objectives - restoring the country’s territorial integrity and increasing the welfare of its population.

“Therefore, if morality is to be the measure of foreign policy, then for Georgia, a moral foreign policy is one that brings us closer to these goals without plunging the country into war and chaos”, the Speaker noted.

“The interim results of our government’s pragmatic, realistic, and rational policy are clearly visible to the sensible part of the international community that understands the fundamental principles of international politics. Most importantly, the Georgian people and our voters clearly see the results of this policy. This means the policy will continue and will ultimately deliver the outcomes our country seeks”, he continued.

Papuashvili further expressed confidence that today’s forum would contribute to exactly this kind of open, respectful, and substantive dialogue.

“The challenges facing the world require not ready-made ideological answers, but the exchange of diverse experiences and views, which will ultimately lead us to better decisions”, he concluded.