Speaker Papuashvili discusses parliamentary diplomacy and bilateral strain with UK speaker

“Tbilisi is dissatisfied with the current tone of diplomatic relations between Georgia and the United Kingdom,” Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said after a bilateral meeting with his British counterpart.

Following the high-level exchange, the Speaker emphasised that the existing climate in bilateral dialogue is misaligned with the longstanding strategic partnership established between Tbilisi and London.

The Speaker stressed that Georgia had consistently acted as a reliable and constructive partner to Britain across both bilateral initiatives and multilateral frameworks, including NATO formats.

“I am pleased to have had the opportunity to meet the Speaker of the UK Parliament. Naturally, our discussion focused on bilateral ties, and we made clear that we are not satisfied with the tone that currently characterises relations between Georgia and the United Kingdom,” Papuashvili stated.

The Speaker emphasised the crucial role of parliamentary diplomacy in bridging differences and restoring constructive dialogue between London and Tbilisi.

“We discussed how the task of parliamentarians, as elected representatives of the people, is to use parliamentary diplomacy to explore what must be done so that relations between Georgia and Britain return to a footing that is truly fitting given the history of our two countries,” Papuashvili added.