Parliament official vows “firm” support to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity
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. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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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.
Robin Dunnigan, the Ambassador of the United States to Georgia, on Tuesday said she hoped the European Council would make a favourable decision on Georgia’s European Union membership candidate status in December.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday discussed bilateral cooperation and his country’s progress on its European integration path with Anna Lyberg, the newly appointed Ambassador of Sweden to Georgia.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the Government would implement the nine priorities set out by the European Commission for the European Union membership candidate status for the country irrespective of whether the domestic opposition decided to become involved in the process.
Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, on Tuesday said European integration was a “monumental” task that required involvement of all stakeholders through the Georgian Government being “inclusive” and the domestic opposition parties working in a “constructive” manner.
Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata, the Italian Senator and former Foreign Minister, on Tuesday said Georgia “has achieved impressive progress”, which was also recognised by the European Commission.
The Conference of the European Affairs Committees of the National Parliaments of the European Union on Tuesday endorsed the granting of the bloc’s membership candidate status to Georgia.
The newly appointed Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Chikovani on Wednesday took part in the virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group to discuss the current situation in Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion.