Shalva Papuashvili says Brussels is to blame for economic suffering Moldova faces today

“What Moldova is experiencing economically today is a crisis, as it has seen little to no growth over the past few years, remaining close to zero. Brussels bears responsibility for this,” stated Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of Georgia’s Parliament.

Papuashvili pointed out that in 2021, Moldova’s economic growth was higher than Georgia’s.

“Despite Georgia achieving around 10 per cent growth in 2021, if I’m not mistaken, Moldova’s was approximately 11-12 per cent; in 2022, Moldova’s economy contracted by five per cent. They had minimal growth from 2022 to 2025, whereas Georgia has maintained growth rates of 8 to 10 per cent. Moldova’s economy is stagnating at around zero.

So, what is the difference between Georgia and Moldova? The key is that Moldova does trust Brussels. Georgia, on the other hand, refused to believe the whispers suggesting we should participate in bilateral sanctions against Russia at the expense of our own people.

The only real difference is this: our stance has allowed us to surpass Moldova economically multiple times. We do not take Brussels’ advice that would harm Georgia. We follow what is best for Georgia,” Papuashvili emphasised.