Parliament committee chair focuses on Ukraine, Georgia’s foreign policy priorities in Leiden University lecture
In his lecture, Samkharadze reviewed the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine and its impact on the Black Sea region, Georgia's foreign policy priorities and challenges in the South Caucasus. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Nikoloz Samkharadze, the chair of the Georgian parliament's foreign affairs committee, on Tuesday led a public lecture at the Netherlands’ Leiden University on the topics of the new world order and European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Georgia, as part of his visit to the country.
In his lecture, Samkharadze reviewed the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine and its impact on the Black Sea region, Georgia's foreign policy priorities and challenges in the South Caucasus.
The parliament official focused on the “difficult situation” in the Russian-occupied territories of Georgia, the government’s peace policy, the country's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, Georgia's role in Europe's energy security and involvement in mediating relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In the framework of the visit, Samkharadze met with representatives of the ministry of foreign affairs of the Netherlands, discussing Georgia’s aspirations to receive the European Union membership candidate status and importance of support of Dutch partners in the process, as well as implementation of EU conditions for the goal by Georgian authorities.
The Netherlands has confirmed its support in the process of [Georgia] implementing the EU conditions and expressed hope Georgia would receive the status of a candidate next year”, he noted in comments on the meetings.
“On the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine, there is a special interest in Georgia in European capitals, as there are a number of directions in which Georgia's role is growing”, Samkharadze also said.
Irakli Beraia, the head of the defense and security committee of the Georgian parliament, on Friday met representatives of NATO partnerships and cooperative security committee. Photo: parliament press office
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