Parliament official warns against “delay in important political decisions” by EU

Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's European Union Integration Committee, on Monday said the European Union should “not delay making important political decisions” to “create a solid basis for enlarging space of peace, security, and prosperity”. 

In her speech at the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy in Madrid, Botchorishvili noted last year’s decision against granting the EU candidate status to Georgia, unlike Ukraine and Moldova, had left “space open for interpretation”.

A differentiated approach to associated partners at this very critical moment in European history can only benefit Russia and hinder Georgia’s European path. Granting candidate status to Georgia and opening negotiations with candidate countries is the only way to succeed in building a peaceful and prosperous future in Europe, our common future”, the Parliament official said. 

Botchorishvili also mentioned the 15th anniversary since the deployment of the EU Monitoring Mission to Georgia, and pointed out the country had been a “victim of Russian aggression for more than 30 years”. 

The Russian invasion and war in 2008 resulted in the occupation of 20 percent of Georgian territories and the illegal military presence of Russian troops which continues to this very day”, she continued.

The Georgian official stressed the roots of “our common security challenge” was “lying in Russia’s imperial ambitions”.