Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday expressed the legislative body’s “readiness” to promote building of “bridges of cooperation” between the Western Balkans and the Eastern Neighbourhood of the European Union.
Papuashvili made the remark as an interparliamentary conference between Georgia and the Western Balkan countries on European integration, hosted on Monday by the Georgian legislative body.
“I am glad that today, in the Parliament of Georgia, we are discussing the enlargement of the European Union - a strategic investment in the peace, stability, security and economic growth of the entire Europe”, Papuashvili said.
Glad to host first Georgia-Western Balkans Inter-Parliamentary Conference on European integration at @Geoparliament. Building bridges of cooperation between Western Balkans & EU’s Eastern neighborhood will help us learn from each other's experiences, support each other & jointly… pic.twitter.com/jP06PakPz9
— Shalva Papuashvili ???????? (@shpapuashvili) February 5, 2024
The chief Georgian legislator said the challenges faced by the Western Balkan countries on the European integration path were also “interesting” for Georgia.
We understand that joining the European Union is a long process that requires patience and hard work. In this process, it is important to study the best practices of those countries that have been following this path for years and have gained valuable experience in converging with EU standards”, Papuashvili noted.
He added it was “important” for the countries to progress on the EU path and receive more access to “freedoms” provided by its single market, which he said would “more tangible results to our citizens”.