Speaker Papuashvili Attends Crimea Platform’s First Parliamentary Summit
Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili attended the Crimea Platform’s first Parliamentary Summit in Zagreb, Croatia, where he delivered an address and met with key counterparts and officials from October 24-25.
Speaker Papuashvili’s Remarks
During his address, Speaker Papuashvili reiterated that “Georgia’s support to Ukraine is unconditional and timeless,” adding that the country stands by the Ukrainian people “despite the fact that Georgia itself is under existential threat as our own historic regions have been long occupied by Russia.”
In that context, the Speaker emphasized that while the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 may have caught many in the West by “surprise,” “unfortunately, we, Georgians, Moldovans, Ukrainians, have known this all too well for many reasons now.”
“Georgian people experienced this ruthless invasion in 2008, which is well known, but also in the early 1990s in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region,” he noted. “We have seen Russian tanks raiding Georgian villages and Russian airplanes bombing our hopes for a better future.”
Nevertheless, Speaker Papuashvili underscored that there is only “one answer from us, which is the same answer we had to the Russian invasion in Georgia: we strongly condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and illegal annexations of its regions.”
Speaker Papuashvili accentuated that Russia must recognize Ukraine’s territorial integrity, withdraw from its territories, and respect its independence.
The Speaker also denoted that as a result of Georgia’s experiences in conflict, the country has learned several key lessons including that documenting “all crimes of the aggression is key in serving justice and curtailing any temptation for others for similar aggression.” In that vein, Speaker Papuashvili highlighted that Georgia co-authored the application to investigate Russia’s activities in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court.
The Speaker further explained that maintaining the “unity and solidarity of the international community” is essential until the territorial integrity of Ukraine and of others like it, is fully restored, “otherwise, Russia will not stop its military adventurism in its neighborhood and beyond.”
On that note, the Speaker brought attention to how Georgia has voiced solidarity with Ukraine in international forums and will continue to do so, adding that the country will also allow the use of Georgia’s territory and financial system to “ease the effect of, undermine, or avoid the existing international sanctions imposed after February 24.”
Finally, Speaker Papuashvili emphasized that the international community “must insist on upholding the fundamental principles of international law” because “we have seen that neglect of aggression in the past has generated new tremors in the international system, which are more difficult to deal with now than in their early stages.”
Meeting with Czech Chamber of Deputies President
On the sidelines of the Crimea Platform, Speaker Papuashvili had the opportunity to meet with the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, Markéta Adamová.
The two sides discussed bilateral relations between their respective Parliaments. Speaker Papuashvili also explained Georgia’s reforms progress and stressed the importance of the Czech Republic’s support for Georgia as it presides over the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The discussion focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine and its consequences as well.
Meeting with Moldovan Parliament’s President
Speaker Papuashvili also had the chance to meet with the Moldovan Parliament’s President, Igor Grosu, to discuss Moldova and Georgia’s common goals and EU aspirations.
In that vein, the two reviewed one another’s efforts for enacting EU recommendations.
Meeting with European Parliament’s First Vice-President
Speaker Papuashvili likewise met with the European Parliament’s First Vice President Othmar Karas on 24 October to discuss Georgia’s progress in fulfilling the European Commission’s 12 recommendations for EU candidate status while Speaker Papuashvili explained the legal changes planned for that purpose.
Speaker Papuashvili also held discussions with Valérie Rabault, Vice-President of the French National Assembly, and Gordan Jandroković, the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament.
Also Read:
- 23/08/2022 – President Zurabishvili Addresses Crimea Platform Summit
- 23/08/2021 – PM Garibashvili Addresses Crimea Platform Summit
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
