Georgia demonstrates solidarity with Ukraine with "strong political, diplomatic steps" - Parliament Speaker

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday addressed the European Conference of Speakers of Parliaments in Dublin and said Georgia “has demonstrated solidarity with Ukraine not only in words, but also with strong political and diplomatic steps” amid Russia’s illegal military presence on the territory of Georgia.

Papuashvili noted his country had sponsored, joined, or supported “hundreds” of resolutions, statements, joint statements and other initiatives made or proposed by all major international organisations and institutions in support of Ukraine, including the application to the International Criminal Court and also, joining the Reykjavik Declaration.

He emphasised that Russia’s war against Ukraine “has not only undermined the existing security architecture but has also inflicted enormous harm on Ukraine and shattered the hopes for Europe at peace”.

However, for my country, Georgia, this aggression did not come as a surprise. In fact, Georgia’s support towards the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders is firm and irreversible not only because we respect international law but also because we understand Ukraine’s pain and suffering”, Papuashvili stressed.

The official in his speech said Georgia “was the first to experience full-scale Russian military aggression in 2008”, stressing that the international response to the aggression had been “weak, temporary, and ineffective”. “Fortunately, unlike the case of Georgia, nowadays, we see a strong and united European response to Russia’s aggressive actions”, he added.

We must remind the aggressors that there is no alternative to peace. [...] We must all stand together and demand that international law be respected, that borders be upheld, and that the rights of all nations be protected”, Papuashvili pointed out, saying he strongly believed that Ukraine would win this war.

“Georgia will be contributing to building the world where the hopes for a peaceful Europe can be realised”, the Georgian official told the Conference.

Papuashvili highlighted the close friendship between Georgia and Ukraine, sharing a “common vision of future” - membership in the European Union and NATO, and emphasised it was “high time to reward countries that are anchored in European values” and “historically belong” to the European family.