Parliament Adopts Resolution on Foreign Policy
The Parliament approved the resolution on Georgia’s foreign policy with 91 votes on December 29.
The resolution, which was sponsored by the ruling Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia and supported by the opposition United National Movement, lists the EU and NATO membership as Georgia’s top foreign policy priorities. The resolution makes reference to Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union and states that “Georgia aspires towards EU membership.”
The resolution represents a slightly revised version of the GDDG-proposed draft.
The revised text, compared to the initial one, includes a statement that the country “will not join those international organizations, which contradict Georgia’s foreign policy priorities.” A similar statement can be found in the 2013 Resolution on Foreign Policy, adopted with bipartisan support.
Unlike the initial draft, the final text introduces the term “principled” when speaking on Georgia’s policy towards the Russian Federation. The final document reads that Georgia will continue to pursue a “rational and principled” policy towards Russia “using international mechanisms” aimed at “minimizing threats, strengthening Georgia’s sovereignty, deoccupation, restoring territorial integrity and promoting regional stability.”
The Alliance of Patriots, the third political group in the parliament, said that they did not participate in voting.
During parliamentary debates, MP Ada Marshania of the Alliance of Patriots questioned the possibility of pursuing “rational” policy with Russia simultaneously with NATO membership and called on the authors to be “adequate,” not to be afraid of “being labeled” and to meet the President of “occupant” Russia, to talk on issues of territorial integrity.
“Unification of our country should be the cornerstone,” she said. “What is our purpose, to enter NATO or to enter Sokhumi? Why do we need NATO, to unite the country, or to enter it somehow and then wait for its unification sometime in the future?” Marshania added.
Deputy Parliamentary Speaker from GDDG, Tamar Chugoshvili responded: “Of course, NATO integration is the priority, which has no alternative for the country.”
“We were not provocative, we tried to be pragmatic in [our] relations with Russia, but we have not changed the steps, the plans and the pace of reforms with respect to NATO integration; on the contrary, there were important achievements during this period [the first four-year of GDDG’s government],” Chugoshvili said.
Although UNM lawmakers stated that they would support the resolution, they criticized the Government for not pursuing “efficient and consistent foreign policy.” MP Elene Khoshtaria of UNM added that the government policy towards Russia is “silent” and “passive and inert” towards the United States.
Several lawmakers from GDDG said that the parliamentary minority was forced to back the “[only] correct and thorough” resolution, but added that they feel uncomfortable to adopt the document together with the United National Movement.
“I am not pleased to adopt any document … together with you, even if it is by consensus,” MP Gia Volski of GDDG said, adding that the claims for being “[the only] pro-western” group, from a political party which “surrendered a huge part of Georgia [territories],” are not correct.
