Parliament official: no normalisation of Russia relations until occupation troops withdrawn
In an interview with commonspace.eu, Samkharadze noted the future of Russia-Georgia relations looked “very grim”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Nikoloz Samkharadze, the chair of the Georgian parliament's foreign affairs committee, on Wednesday said there would be no normalisation of relations with Russia until the occupation troops are withdrawn from Georgian territory and the Kremlin recognises Georgia’s territorial integrity.
In an interview with commonspace.eu, Samkharadze noted the future of Russia-Georgia relations looked “very grim”.
The outlook is not positive, and the main reason is because Russia continues to occupy 20 percent of our sovereign territory. Until these territories are de-occupied, until Russian troops are withdrawn from Georgian territory, and until Russia recognises Georgia’s territorial integrity, there will be no normalisation of relations between Georgia and Russia”, Samkharadze said.
In his remarks, Samkharadze also stressed the European Union’s June decision to grant Georgia a European perspective was a “historic one”, although the country was “a bit disappointed” not to get the same membership candidate status as Ukraine and Moldova.
So we are working very hard now to deliver on those recommendations, and according to our timeline we will be ready by the beginning of the new year with the fulfilment of those recommendations. And then we very much hope for a positive assessment from the European Commission and then from the European Council”, he continued.
The official also focused on the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine by saying Georgia’s response to the Russian aggression had been “very strong”.
We have supported or co-sponsored all resolutions at the UN Security Council, the Council of Europe, at the OSCE, at every international forum. For a country which is partially also occupied by Russia, and today is the most vulnerable to a Russian attack after Ukraine in the world, I think [the response] punched above its weight”, Samkharadze concluded.
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