Parliament official vows “firm” support to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity

Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday reiterated the country’s “firm” support to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and expressed her “admiration and solidarity” to the “heroic” fight of Ukrainian people for freedom.

In her remarks addressing the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union in Madrid, Botchorishvili noted the ongoing war in Ukraine was a continuation of Russia’s aggressive policy that had been used in Georgia for more than 30 years. 

Georgia still continues to face Russian occupation, and it is Russian ambitions that are a threat to our common security. We can ask questions - what would be today if we have acted differently in the past? What if the European perspective has been open for us years ago, like three Baltic states got it after the breakup of the Soviet Union?”, Botchorishvili told the audience. 

“What if we received a roadmap for NATO membership in 2008 in Bucharest as the real implementation of NATO's open door policy? We can ask many questions, but we will not be able to change what has been already done. What we can change is our future and we need to act today, not to leave question ‘what if’ for our next generations”, she continued.

The official added Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, together with western Balkan states, were aspiring to be “integral” parts of the European Union, and added the outcome required “real” steps to be taken.

She told the event the Georgian authorities “hope that EU Council decision in December will lay ground for a real implementation of our sovereign choices”, in reference to the body’s anticipated decision on granting the country the EU membership candidate status.