Gov’t's “peace policy” “saved both Georgia, Europe from crisis”- Parliament Speaker

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday claimed the Georgian Dream Government’s “peace policy”, which he said had garnered “widespread public support”, had “not only shielded Georgia from economic turmoil and potential military conflict” but also “contributed to averting an economic crisis in Europe”. 

Highlighting Georgia's advancement in the Institute for Economics and Peace’s 2024 Positive Peace Index by six spots compared to previous data, the official pointed to the country’s role as a “vital transit corridor” between Europe and Asia. 

Today [amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and other conflicts in the world], cargo passes through Georgia. Therefore, not only are we enjoying this peace, but other countries are benefiting from it as well”, he said. 

If there was a disturbance here, then Europe would face an economic crisis due to disruptions in trade through this corridor”, the official added. 

Calling Georgia an “oasis of peace” amid ongoing conflicts in the world and the occupation of its Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions by Russia, Papuashvili stressed “actually the GD Government and the [Georgian] people, with their non-escalation policy, saved not only Georgia from the economic crisis and a possible military conflict, but also Europe from economic problems”.

Papuashvili’s comment was coming amid claims by ruling party members  that unspecified forces in the West were attempting to “drag” Georgia into the Russia-Ukraine war. 

He further stressed the Government's refusal to impose sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine in 2022, send volunteers to the war and escalating “tensions with various countries around us have proven effective”. 

Let us look around - we are actually in the middle of an arc of fire, and we have managed to make Georgia an oasis of peace under such conditions”, he said. 

The Speaker concluded by saying Georgia's advancement in the Index was “another  clear indication of the effectiveness of the Government's policies and the strong backing from the Georgian people”.