“I am delighted to be visiting the Slovak Republic together with the Georgian parliamentary delegation. We had a most productive meeting with my colleague, Richard Raši. I recall our previous encounter, which took place last year in Geneva on the sidelines of the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. That meeting gave fresh and powerful impetus to the parliamentary dialogue between our two countries,” declared the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, at a joint briefing held alongside the Speaker of the Slovak Parliament, Richard Raši.

According to Papuashvili, today’s visit to Slovakia reaffirms once again both countries’ commitment to the further development of parliamentary ties against the backdrop of a challenging global environment, in which partnership and mutual understanding matter more than ever.

Shalva Papuashvili drew particular attention to the strengthening of parliamentary relations and the deepening of cooperation between friendship groups.

“I expressed our gratitude to Slovakia for its unwavering support of Georgia. That support is greatly valued. During our meeting, we noted the growing intensity of high-level exchanges, which clearly reflects our shared commitment to deepening cooperation across a wide range of fields. Georgia stands firmly on guard in defence of national sovereignty, popular democracy, and the rule of law. Genuine European values, among them the preservation of national identity, traditional family values, and our Christian heritage, serve as our guiding principles on the path towards European Union integration. The Georgian authorities have no intention of engaging in artificial ideological confrontations designed to divide society, confrontations that serve no interest of our peoples. We agreed to further strengthen our cooperation, particularly at the parliamentary level, where dialogue and the sharing of experience play a decisive role in achieving our common goals. We fully support active parliamentary ties between our parliamentary administrations, friendship groups, and sectoral committees,” stated Shalva Papuashvili.

It was noted that the meeting between the two parliamentary speakers also touched upon Georgia–European Union relations and Slovakia’s own experience of the European integration process.

“During our meeting, we also discussed the challenges present in Georgia–EU relations and underscored our commitment to constructive dialogue. We express our gratitude for Slovakia’s readiness to share the experience it has gained throughout the European integration process. Finally, our cooperation is directed towards reducing regional tensions, averting unnecessary conflicts, and ensuring peace and stability, all of which will contribute to the further development of our societies, to improving the lives of our peoples, and to achieving fruitful economic collaboration. We are grateful for the warm hospitality extended to us at the National Council. We stand ready to deepen our partnership in the years ahead,” remarked Shalva Papuashvili.