Parliamentary Committee Chair highlights Georgia’s “strategic location”, reforms in address to ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly
Nikoloz Samkharadze’s appearance marked the first AIPA Assembly with Georgia’s engagement after the country obtained an observer status. Photo: Nikoloz Samkharadze’s Twitter
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Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday addressed the 44th Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta, Indonesia, to highlight his country’s “strategic location”, democratic reforms and pledge sharing of legislative experience.
His appearance marked the first AIPA Assembly with Georgia’s engagement after the country obtained an observer status several months ago, the Georgian Parliament said.
Honoured to address #AIPA44 in Jakarta on behalf of @Geoparliament as ???????? becomes observer member of AIPA. Emphasized importance of upholding int'l law principles especially, territorial integrity as well as sharing best practice and enhancing cooperation for common interests. pic.twitter.com/4etn3x6hlU
— Nikoloz Samkharadze (@Samkharadze79) August 9, 2023
Addressing the gathering - which serves as a centre of communication and information among MPs from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - the Georgian lawmaker stressed the observer status would help “significantly develop” Georgia’s economic, cultural and other communications with countries of Southeast Asia.
In his address to more than 560 delegates, Samkharadze also spoke about Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and highlighted Moscow’s invasion of Georgia 15 years ago, in August 2008, that led to the ongoing occupation of 20 percent of the Georgian territory.
The MP noted the importance of the support for Georgia’s territorial integrity by Southeast Asian countries, and urged AIPA members to support related resolutions submitted by Georgia to the United Nations.
The Georgian Parliamentary delegation will meet with AIPA members in an extended format, before also holding bilateral meetings with the Secretary General and parliamentary delegations while in Jakarta, the press office said.