“The freedom-loving nation of Georgia believes in Europe. It is high time for Europe to believe in itself and in Georgians too,” said Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili at the annual Conference of the Speakers of EU Parliaments (EUSC) in Prague.

Here is Speaker Shalva Papuashvili’s speech in full:

“These turbulent times, which seem to be here to stay, are the right moment for the EU to fulfil the role for which it was created: sustainable regional peace, security, and prosperity. The EU can revitalize its “soft power”, by standing on the side of truth, morality and the values that the EU has long embodied.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I believe three things are critical: First, the EU must cooperate with other democracies as a renowned and universal beacon of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The Union has a world to share – democratic values that its founding fathers incorporated in its foundations; benefits that its citizens enjoy and that make the EU a magnetic attraction around the world; and an area of liberty and peace. Other partner democracies, like Georgia, have a world to share too – a dedicated optimist on guard for liberty and peace – the identity of Europe; cultural heritage enriching Europe; and the best Georgian experience of state-building and democratization.

Second, the EU’s strength should come from a trustworthy, evidence-based narrative. You cannot fight disinformation with disinformation. The Union has always been associated with genuine progressive values and a near-scientific model for development and prosperity. Sadly, recently we noticed a certain twist with an unfortunate tendency of placing perceptions above hard facts. In the current tsunami of disinformation, the EU’s real strength is to advance narratives that are based on facts rather than perceptions. Fact-based discourse strengthens democracy, but perception-based narratives skew it. Our institutions of democratic governance, which are modelled on the EU, should champion fact-based decision-making if we want to maintain public trust.

And third, the promise of EU membership should be coupled with a consistent approach by its institutions, devoid of arbitrary and partisan interests. Membership promise serves as a powerful tool for promoting democracy, strengthening the rule of law and the respect for fundamental rights in Georgia. Currently, we have been quite successfully implementing the EU’s 12 recommendations for the candidate country status. These recommendations, in essence, guide democratic reforms in key areas.

What we need now is a clear, verifiable, and institutionalized process for our membership path, which has less arbitrary, less partisan political considerations.

Dear friends, I believe in Europe. So does my freedom-loving nation. It is high time for Europe to believe in itself and in us too,” he said.

The topic of the panel was the role of the EU in the global cooperation of democracies and the issue of member states’ dependence on totalitarian regimes (information warfare, disinformation, security of supply chains, strategic autonomy).