Parliament Speaker: strengthening non-recognition policy of occupied territories discussed at IPU Assembly
In his remarks over the event, Papuashvili noted “we will meet parliamentary delegations and chairs of parliaments from about 20 countries, [and] the purpose of these meetings is to strengthen the policy of non-recognition”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said the Georgian Parliamentary delegation led by him was involved in meetings at the ongoing Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Luanda, Angola, with the aim of strengthening the policy of non-recognition of Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions of Georgia by foreign states.
In his remarks over the event, Papuashvili noted “we will meet parliamentary delegations and chairs of parliaments from about 20 countries, [and] the purpose of these meetings is to strengthen the policy of non-recognition”.
Glad to meet Madam Esperança Bias, Speaker of the Assembly of #Mozambique. Enjoyed our friendly conversation on bilateral bonds and cooperation initiatives ????????&????????. We continue working on common challenges from conflicts to climate change for the benefit of our citizens. #IPU147 pic.twitter.com/sDIx2dGIj6
— Shalva Papuashvili ???????? (@shpapuashvili) October 26, 2023
Papuashvili said it was “important” to elect an IPU President who had a “positive” attitude towards Georgia, because “this Union is of special importance for the achievement of the country's foreign policy goals”.
He also noted meetings already held at the 147th edition of the Assembly had been used to gain support for the policy.
Friendly exchange with @HonSinzohagera , President of @burundi_senat as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. We talked about ????????-???????? ties, Russian occupation of Georgia’s two historic regions & its negative consequences. We agreed on deepening… pic.twitter.com/Ouk617rgCB
— Shalva Papuashvili ???????? (@shpapuashvili) October 26, 2023
The purpose of these meetings is to strengthen the policy of non-recognition [...] we have solid confirmation in terms of support of Georgia's territorial integrity - including from countries where we do not have diplomatic coverage and where it is generally difficult to conduct intensive bilateral relations”, Papuashvili said.
Within the framework of the Assembly, Papuashvili met his counterparts from Mozambique, Cabo Verde, Sri Lanka, Burundi, Zambia, Ghana, Djibouti and other countries. The officials reviewed bilateral and multilateral cooperation and legislative ties.
Expressed gratitude to my colleague @askbagbin, Speaker of Parliament of #Ghana for supporting ????????'s territorial integrity. We discussed our bilateral cooperation, including in IT, education, public services, customs, climate change, agriculture. Georgia stands ready to share our… pic.twitter.com/jvJTrRYgqp
— Shalva Papuashvili ???????? (@shpapuashvili) October 25, 2023
The IPU was formed in 1889 and now unites 179 members and 14 associate members for facilitating links between lawmaking bodies.