Speaker Papuashvili to his Danish counterpart: EU integration promotes dialogue, not blocks it; looking forward to collaboration

“According to COSAC regulations, the Danish Parliament has no right to refuse to invite Georgia’s Parliament to participate. However, it seems that rules-based international order is, for some, a term adaptable to political taste,” Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili wrote on social media.

According to Papuashvili, there can be no Europe where there is arbitrariness and disinformation.

“Recently, Georgia’s Parliament received a letter from the chair of the Danish Parliament’s European Affairs Committee, informing us that they do not plan to invite Georgian parliamentary representatives to the so-called COSAC meeting (Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union and candidate countries).

What’s interesting here is that according to COSAC regulations, the Danish Parliament has no right to refuse to invite Georgia’s Parliament to participate (!). However, it seems that a rules-based international order is, for some, a term adaptable to political taste.

Therefore, the only thing this intention can be called is arbitrariness, while citing Georgia’s government’s non-existent decision regarding allegedly halting European Union integration as justification is simply disinformation. And where there is arbitrariness and disinformation, there can be no Europe. Everyone must realise this,” Shalva Papuashvili wrote.

Speaker Papuashvili further publishes his response letter to the Danish Parliament Speaker.

“I am writing in response to the letter of June 20 from Ms. Brigitte Klintskov Jerkel, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Danish Parliament, addressed to the Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration of the Parliament of Georgia, Mr. Levan Makhashvili. Ms. Jerkel mentions that she also writes on behalf of the Chairs of the Danish Parliament’s Finance and Foreign Policy Committees.

As is evident from the letter, the Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Danish Parliament intends not to invite representatives of Georgia’s Parliament to the meetings of COSAC, citing Georgia’s suspension of its EU accession process.

Using this issue as a pretext for disinviting the Georgian delegation is surprising, as the Government of Georgia never stated that it would suspend the integration process with the European Union. To the contrary, the Georgian Government continues its best efforts to fulfil the candidate country requirements in accordance with the Georgia-EU Association Agreement.

The Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Danish Parliament, in her letter, acknowledges that Georgia, as the EU candidate country, has ‘the right to be invited to the meetings of COSAC. Indeed, Article 3.2 of COSAC’s Rules of Procedure stipulates that “three members of the Parliaments of each candidate country shall be invited as observers to plenary and extraordinary COSAC meetings”. At the same time, it has no regulation about the denial of their participation.

Therefore, with the above-mentioned in mind, the denial to invite the Georgian delegation is a violation of the Georgian Parliament’s right to participate in the COSAC meeting, guaranteed by the COSAC Rules of Procedure. This contradicts the letter and spirit of the norms of the international rules-based order, which has recently been facing formidable challenges, thus contradicting the fundamental pillars of the European Union, as enshrined in its treaties.

Your Excellency,

I strongly believe that the essence of European integration is fostering dialogue and exchange of ideas and opinions, not blocking them, especially in contradiction to the rules.

I look forward to future collaboration and dialogue. Please, accept the assurances of my highest consideration,” the letter published by the Georgian Parliament speaker reads.