Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili addressed questions about the depiction of occupied territories on a map shown during a recent briefing.

Papuashvili explained that areas of Georgia currently occupied are shown in grey on the map, distinct from non-Georgian territories surrounding them marked in white. This visual, he stated, reflects the logistical limitations imposed by the occupation, affecting electoral district representation.

“Elections cannot be conducted across the entire territory of Georgia due to ongoing occupation. If anyone struggles with colour perception, I encourage them to take note: the occupied regions of Georgia are shown in grey, while the non-Georgian territories surrounding them are in white,” he said.

When informed that one of the individuals raising concerns was Khatia Dekanoidze, one of the opposition figures, Papuashvili pointed to Dekanoidze’s past service in Ukraine.

“Having once given up her Georgian citizenship for a position in Ukraine, we will not receive any remarks or statements from Dekanoidze regarding her love for this country,” he stated, adding that the criticism on the map was “nonsense” related to “colour perception issues”.