Speaker of Georgian Parliament Visits France

On June 7, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, who is on an official visit to France, met with the Speaker of the National Assembly of France, Yaël Braun-Pivet and addressed the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly.

According to the Georgian Parliament, during the meeting between Shalva Papuashvili and Yaël Braun-Pivet the sides discussed the deepening of bilateral relations between the countries, including parliamentary relations, in the fields of culture, education, and trade. France’s support of Georgia’s European integration process was emphasized.

Shalva Papuashvili spoke about the role of the Georgian Parliament in implementing the 12 recommendations and the progress of Georgia in this regard. He expressed hope that the country would secure the candidate status this year. The parties also discussed security challenges in the region and current events in Georgia.

The Speaker of the French National Assembly expressed her strong support for Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and European aspirations. She also expressed gratitude to the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia for the organization of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (The Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie) to be held in Tbilisi.

He later addressed the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly, where he acknowledged France’s “principled and generous assistance to Georgia since its independence”. He expressed gratitude for political, humanitarian, economic, and technical support, as well as academic exchange programs.

The speaker expressed gratitude for France’s unwavering commitment, especially in the face of challenging security environment in the wider Black Sea region. He also appreciated France’s significant role as one of the largest international donors, contributing to Georgia’s institutional and socio-economic transformation.

“Recently Foreign Minister Colonna has paid an official visit to Tbilisi. It was a robust signal of political support towards Georgia. As we proceed on our European path, we were particularly encouraged by the statements made by Minister Colonna that reaffirmed France’s readiness to stand by Georgia in its efforts towards becoming an EU candidate country by the end of the year” noted Papuashvili.

The speaker highlighted the continuing Russian occupation of Georgian territories, which includes violations of local population rights, borderization, kidnappings, and creeping annexation, noting: “Some European countries, and also the European Union, even to this day, refuse to call Russian actions in Georgia its proper name – occupation”.

The speaker emphasized that Georgia has taken strong political and diplomatic actions in support of Ukraine, despite the illegal military presence of Russia only a few miles away from Tbilisi. “Georgia faces high risks of possible military escalation. Yet we are not protected by NATO security umbrella. And yet, within our means, we have fully supported Ukraine in its fight for territorial integrity” Papuashvili said.

Papuashvili emphasized that amid the challenging geopolitical situation, Georgia firmly maintains its foreign policy priorities, saying: “Through a very intensive, inclusive, and transparent domestic process of implementation involving all stakeholders, we have implemented up to 80% of the priorities. We have done so in close cooperation with civil society organizations, our partners in the EU, and most importantly with the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR”.

The speaker highlighted the importance of diversifying European energy supplies in the light of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. He emphasized Georgia’s role as a crucial part of the “Middle Corridor” for alternative energy routes to Europe.

The speaker expressed disappointment at Georgia being left out of NATO despite of “developing democratic institutions beyond the Alliance’s entry-level standards, and codifying European and Euro-Atlantic integration into its Constitution,” and called for progress in the integration process, saying: “It is high time for our Western partners to help us to overcome our security predicament and get the well-deserved membership in NATO and the EU”.

On June 8, Papuashvili met with Gérard Larcher President of the French Senate. The discussion at the meeting focused on progress in implementing the European Commission’s 12 priorities.

The President of the French Senate noted that France continues to support Georgia on its path towards EU integration. He underlined Georgia’s ambition to join the North Atlantic Alliance and noted that its contribution to ensuring global security and stability in the region is immeasurable.

According to the Georgian Parliament, at the meeting, the parties expressed their readiness to deepen the existing close partnership relations between Georgia and France, as well as historical and cultural cooperation.

Also Read:

• 07/12/2022 –  Speaker Papuashvili Meets Vice Presidents of Luxembourg’s Parliament
• 06/12/2022 –  Shalva Papuashvili Visiting the Netherlands
• 01/12/2022 –  Speaker Papuashvili Visits Berlin

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)