Parliament Speaker expresses gratitude for Romanian support

Georgian Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili has expressed his gratitude to Romanian officials for supporting Georgia on its journey to EU integration, following a meeting with the Senate Speaker Crin Antonescu in Bucharest.

Usupashvili highlighted Georgia’s foreign priorities and said Georgia’s aspirations to join NATO and EU Atlantic institutions was not only the choice of the authorities but of the whole nation.

"This is the issue that is shared by the Government as well as the opposition,” he said.

Later at the plenary session of the Senate, its members will receive a resolution on behalf of Georgia’s aspiration to join the EU and NATO. The statement is entitled: "Romania supports the Georgia’s European future.”

Usupashvili stressed that not everybody in the world agreed that Georgia had free choice.

"Georgian territories are occupied that’s why we have experienced so many problems towards our integration into EU and NATO.”

Usupashvili believed Georgia would overcome all its problems and would share the common goal of a prosperous future alongside other free nations in Europe.

"Georgia’s foreign policy is unchangeable. Following the Vilnius Summit our goal is to sign the Association Agreement with the EU. [We still have to overcome] many challenges and we believe our friendly countries will help us in this regard,” Usupashvili said at the joint press conference with Crin Antonescu.

Mulling over the close relations between Georgia and Romania, Usupashvili said the Black Sea not only separated the countries but united them.

On the Romanian side, Antonescu pledged full support to the Georgian Government in sharing Romania’s experience in becoming a member of the EU.

Antonescu also underlined the importance of further deepening the economic cooperation between the two countries.