“Georgia continues to enjoy full support from its European colleagues on the path to EU integration,” said Georgian Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili. “Unfortunately, the relationship between Georgia and Brussels is being held hostage by a political context that has formed in our region, one with many contributing factors.”

He expressed confidence that once what he described as “unfair approaches” towards Georgia are removed, “the process will return to the right situation.”

Papuashvili cited two key issues influencing perceptions in Europe:

“On the one hand, we see the heavy burden that the European Union is carrying as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine, and in this regard, some political groups in Europe had malicious expectations of Georgia, that Georgia would be involved in the policy of escalation, while, unlike them, we are neither protected by NATO nor by the umbrella of EU economic solidarity.

On the other hand, there are certain political groups in Europe that are protecting our former authoritarian ruler, Mikheil Saakashvili, and are trying not only to save him from his legal punishment, but also to bring his political power to power. As soon as these two wrong approaches are removed, Georgia will immediately be freed from this captivity,” Papuashvili said.