The human rights situation is very grave in the occupied territories of Georgia. Creeping and sharp annexation of the sovereign territories clearly reflects the aggressive actions on a daily basis – Irakli Kobakhidze, Speaker of the parliament made the regarding statement at 97th Rose-Roth seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) “Georgia and the Black Sea Region in the New Geopolitical Order”.

Irakli Kobakhidze noted that the topic of this year’s seminar is attractive because the Black Sea region and its security have never been so important.

“Last year, Georgia hosted the NATO Parliamentary Assembly – Seminar dedicated to the Georgian Parliamentary Relations with NATO. We recall this event with pride and hope that our cooperation with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and its member parliaments will be strengthened in the future. The topic of the seminar this year is attractive because the Black Sea region and its security have never been so important.

First of all, I would like to state that in December 2016, the Parliament adopted a resolution in which it was emphasized that Euro-Atlantic integration is the main priority of Georgia’s foreign policy. In addition, the statement was further strengthened at constitutional level within the Constitutional Reform Framework implemented last year.

Nowadays, European integration is firmly guaranteed as a foreign policy priority. It expresses the deep aspiration of the Georgian people. I would like to underline that the absolute majority of the voters supported political parties with pro-European Platform at the 2018 parliamentary elections, while all the surveys showed that this course has a decisive and growing support of the Georgian society” –  Irakli Kobakhidze said.

According to him, considering the changeable geopolitical order and threats associated with it, the Black Sea cooperation is and should be part of Euro-Atlantic integration.

“With regard to security, we believe that Russia’s revanchist foreign policy is a major challenge for regional security. Russia’s actions in the region, particularly in the last decade, have led to such strong shifts that seriously undermined the credibility of the international system and even threatened the European security architecture. Even now, when we have gathered in this hall and talking, Moscow increases its military resources along the regions of the occupied territories. The human rights situation in Georgia’s occupied territories is grave, and the creeping and sharp annexation of the sovereign states clearly shows Russia’s aggressive actions on a daily basis” – Kobakhidze said.

The 97th Rose-Roth seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) titled “Georgia and the Black Sea Region in the New Geopolitical Order” has been opened in Batumi, Georgia, on 23 April. The seminar brings together approximately 200 participants, including 62 members of parliament from 23 NATO member states and partner countries.