Georgian Parliament Speaker: healthy partnerships between countries based on aligning national interests, not serving foreign agendas

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said that healthy relations between countries are based not on one side serving the interests of another, but on the search for alignment of national interests, stressing that “this is the essence of sovereignty”.

In his remarks, Papuashvili noted that it is categorically unacceptable when domestic political groups act as instruments of foreign interests.

He further stressed that it is impermissible for anyone - even in the name of the interests of a friendly state such as the United States of America - to attempt to harm Georgia’s national interests and claimed that such behavior is, in his view, being demonstrated by radical opposition forces.

The Speaker noted that statements from what he described as radical and anti-Georgian political forces have recently increased, targeting issues of national importance and serving foreign agendas at the expense of Georgia’s sovereignty. He referred to comments made by opposition figures Gigi Tsereteli, Giga Bokeria, and Zurab Japaridze, saying they had spoken about growing US engagement in the region and had tried to convince the public that Georgia’s goal should not be the protection of its own national interests, but rather the service of another country’s priorities.

He added that such rhetoric, in his assessment, confirms accusations from the government and its supporters that these groups act as “foreign agents” and betray state interests. Papuashvili emphasised that Georgia is an independent and sovereign state, and that only the Georgian people have the right to determine its future through democratic processes.

“Everyone should understand that Georgia is an independent and sovereign state, and only the Georgian people have the right to determine its future. The country's development path, the choice of government and strategic decisions are shaped through democratic processes. This is a fundamental principle that cannot be replaced by political speculation or external pressure”, he continued.

He further argued that political competition in the country is increasingly being pushed beyond democratic boundaries and is turning into a campaign against Georgia’s international image and state interests. He criticised what he described as radical political groups influenced by the ideology of the United National Movement, claiming they promote narratives aligned with external political agendas rather than national interests.

Papuashvili also expressed concern over attempts to portray Georgia as a partner or ally of Russia and Iran in the region, calling such narratives detached from reality. He noted that Georgia has no diplomatic relations with Russia and that 20% of its territory remains occupied. Regarding Iran, he said bilateral relations do not compare in depth or scale to Iran’s relations with other regional states.

“Russia occupies 20% of Georgia’s territory, and Georgia has severed diplomatic relations with Russia, which in itself speaks to the nature of the relationship between the two countries. As for Iran, although it is an important country in the region, Georgia’s political and economic relations with Iran do not come close to the level of engagement maintained by other regional states.Therefore, promoting such narratives serves only to create false perceptions about Georgia and damage its international reputation”, Papuashvili noted.

He noted that a similar effort was underway to discredit the dynamic and productive strategic partnership between Georgia and China, even though any partnership should be assessed solely by one criterion - whether it serves Georgia’s national interests.

“It is categorically unacceptable for local political groups to act as agents of foreign interests in Georgia. The identity or origin of those external forces is irrelevant. Nations formed states in order to distinguish their own interests from those of others. It is unacceptable for anyone, even in the name of the interests of a friendly United States, to attempt to undermine Georgia’s interests”, he said.

“Unfortunately, this is precisely the kind of conduct we see from the radical opposition, whose statements often suggest that Georgia’s national interests are secondary to the political priorities of external actors whose interests they seek to defend”, Parliament Speaker noted.

Papuashvili highlighted that these actors increasingly imply that Georgia exists merely to adapt itself to the plans of other states, even against the would of Georgia and the Georgian people.

“Clearly, these political forces understand that claims about ties between Georgia and Russia or Georgia and Iran are not serious. It therefore becomes apparent that their main objective is to undermine the strategic partnership between Georgia and China in favor of the forces whose political agenda their activities serve”, he said.

Papuashvili concluded by calling on the public to critically assess information that, in his view, undermines Georgia’s national interests. He reiterated that sustainable international partnerships are based on converging national interests rather than one country serving another, describing this principle as the core of sovereignty.