The meeting of the Helsinki Commission was held during the days of mourning in Georgia, yet not a single word was heard from Joe Wilson or other members of the Commission, who often portray themselves as strong supporters of the Georgian nation and claim to closely follow developments in the country, the Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said when responding to a question.

He was asked to comment on the fact that, unlike Marco Rubio, European leaders had not publicly expressed condolences to the Georgian people, with statements instead being made at the embassy level.

“This once again demonstrates that statements by certain foreign politicians are nothing more than a farce. This is ordinary paid lobbying, which has nothing to do with Georgia or any genuine emotional connection to the Georgian people. Perhaps they did not even understand what happened in Georgia, or they did understand but failed to comprehend it fully.

We have also seen various reports and statements in Europe. During this time of grief, there was yet another attack on the Georgian people. This reflects the civilizational crisis toward which, in our view, European civilization is being led today, where the political agenda is placed above human values.

At the same time, I would like to express my gratitude to the ambassadors who attended services at the Holy Trinity Cathedral during the days of mourning and on the day of the funeral, and who shared in this grief.

On the other hand, we did not see European leaders—who often make public statements about Georgia—come forward during this difficult time. They could not find the words, the time, or perhaps even the emotion. More likely, they searched for it but could not find it, because they do not understand this feeling.

The emotion we have—toward the Church, the Patriarch, and the true values on which Georgia stands—is not shared by those who adhere to what we consider pseudo-values. This, too, was an important lesson for the Georgian people,” Shalva Papuashvili said.