NATO PA Suspends Interparliamentary Council with Georgia, Cuts Delegation’s Privileges

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s (PA) Standing Committee has suspended meetings of the Georgia-NATO Interparliamentary Council (GNIC) and reduced “some of the Georgian delegation’s participation privileges,” citing concerns over democratic backsliding.

“The Standing Committee also agreed to keep relations with the Georgian Parliament under review; to maintain engagement with political forces across the political spectrum; and to step up engagement with civil society,” NATO PA told Netgazeti in a written response.

The Assembly confirmed to Netgazeti that its Standing Committee — NATO PA’s governing body — made the decision in April 2025, following a six-month review launched in November 2024.

NATO PA confirmed that three members of the Georgian Dream delegation were invited to attend the Assembly’s 2025 Spring Session in Dayton, Ohio. According to the May 22 press release of the Georgian Parliament, a permanent delegation composed of three Georgian Dream lawmakers – Givi Mikanadze, Levan Makhashvili, and Mariam Lashkhi – travelled to Dayton to take part in the session.

The NATO PA did not specify which privileges were stripped from the Georgian delegation. However, the letter followed reports by the Georgian news outlet Tabula, according to which NATO PA reduced the plenary seats for the Georgian delegation from five to three, citing the risk that in the future the ruling Georgian Dream party might take the two seats reserved for the currently boycotting opposition. Tabula also reported that, as a result, the Georgian delegation would lose the ability to propose amendments during plenary sessions and would be unable to participate in the Assembly’s Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group (GSM) seminars, subcommittee visits, and other events.

Responding to the reports, GD MP Mikanadze told journalists he and Lashkhi participated in the GSM seminar held in Antalya, Turkey, late in April, and also took part in the NATO PA spring session. Calling the media reports “another attempt at disseminating lies,” Mikanadze claimed that “invitations have already arrived for future sessions as well.”

NATO PA, which is “separate and independent” of NATO, established the Georgia-NATO Interparliamentary Council (GNIC) following the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Georgia has been an associate member of the NATO PA since 1999 and gained candidate country status in 2024.

Also Read:

• 25/04/2025 – Georgia in NATO Secretary General’s 2024 Annual Report
• 12/10/2021 – Georgia in NATO Parliamentary Assembly Resolutions
• 06/11/2020 – NATO PA President on October 31 Elections
  
  
  

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