Parliament Committee Chair highlights importance of EU, NATO enlargement at Warsaw Security Forum

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday reviewed the importance of the Black Sea region in the security of Europe, the ongoing Russian occupation of Georgian territories and the significance of European Union and NATO enlargement at the Warsaw Security Forum.

In his address at a panel themed Stormy waters of the Black Sea, Samkharadze highlighted the importance of focusing on strategic projects and geopolitical challenges.

Today, both Georgia and the entire Europe are facing a number of challenges. The ongoing conflicts in our region harm the stability and development of the Black Sea region. The best solution for strengthening the united European security is the enlargement of both NATO and the EU with the participation of Georgia and Ukraine”, the Parliament official told the panel.

He stressed that the development would bring the Black Sea region under the “unified security umbrella”, which would ultimately ensure the promotion of “stability, peace and sustainable development” in the Black Sea region.

“This serves the interests of both Europe and Georgia. Therefore, the European Union and the new European Commission must act with these geopolitical factors in mind and prepare the European Union for further enlargement through internal reforms”, Samkharadze noted.

The Warsaw Security Forum is one of the largest annual forums in Europe involving high-ranking officials, decision-makers, experts and researchers.