EU’s turn to show in word, action that it envisions its future with Georgia - Parliament Speaker

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Saturday, at the opening ceremony of Europe Day in Tbilisi, said “it was time” for the European Union to demonstrate to Georgia, “both in word and action”, that it envisioned its future together with Georgia.

In his speech, Papuashvili highlighted the “particular importance” of upcoming months to lay a “solid foundation” for taking the next step on the path to EU membership - granting Georgia candidate status and noted the country expected that subsequent assessments and relevant decisions of the EU would be fair, taking into account Georgia's progress and the broader geopolitical context.

The European future of our country [Georgia] is a well-thought-out value and pragmatic choice of the Georgian population, and European values are an integral part of Georgian culture and national identity”, he stressed.

Photo via Government Administration

Georgian official said the EU's foundation was based on the understanding that “there is no alternative to peace” and noted it was the reason why the EU was so appealing to the country, as Georgians were always well aware of the price of the struggle for freedom, which it had paid many times.

Papuashvili highlighted that Georgia had contributed to the development of European social state and ideas of equality, as Georgia “was the first European country where, at that time, the most progressive party carrying social-democratic ideas came to power” and was second after Norway to elect women to parliament. Establishing the European ideas of freedom, equality, and justice is not a process of adopting foreign principles, but rather, “returning to the roots” of Georgian statehood, he added.