Parliament Speaker annual address highlights “historic” achievement of obtaining EU candidacy “without harming country's interests”
In his annual report on the work of the legislative body, Papuashvili said the ruling Georgian Dream party had been the “only party” before the 2020 parliamentary elections to have the submission of a bid to join the European Union by 2024 in its campaign programme. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said the country’s Government had managed to secure the “historic” achievement of receiving the European Union membership candidate status last year “without harming the country's interests, weakening democracy or shrinking the economy”.
In his annual report on the work of the legislative body, Papuashvili said the ruling Georgian Dream party had been the “only party” before the 2020 parliamentary elections to have the submission of a bid to join the European Union by 2024 in its campaign programme.
“Now it is 2024, and we can proudly announce that we have not only applied to the European Union for membership, but have also obtained candidate status”, he told the legislative body.
We were able to gain this historic achievement without harming the country's interests, weakening democracy or shrinking the economy. The Parliament fulfilled a historic mission when it assumed the role of a flagship among national institutions in obtaining the status of a candidate country for the European Union”, Papuashvili told MPs.
The chief Georgian legislator also said the Parliament had managed to adopt laws and regulations “directly aimed at fulfilling the tasks” related to the conditions for the EU membership candidate status.
Papuashvili stressed the granting of the status to the country in December had marked an appreciation by the EU structures of “joint efforts of citizens and the Government” for the purpose.
Rati Ionatamishvili, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the Parliament, on Thursday claimed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s visit to Brussels this week would “bring results” to citizens of the country.
Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Chikovani on Wednesday said the NATO-Georgia Commission meeting earlier during the day, as part of PM Irakli Kobakhidze’s visit to Brussels, had been “positive”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said this day was “a historic day” for Georgia, as it marked the adoption of the first constitution on 21 February 1921, and stressed the landmark document of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia was a demonstration that the then Georgian society “was equipped with appropriate values and a very high legal culture”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said “everything should be done” so that Georgia could “move to a new stage” on European integration - opening accession talks with the European Union by the end of the year.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday told the legislative body “disinformation” had become the “main tool for deepening polarisation in the country’s domestic politics, weakening state institutions and damaging foreign policy goals”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said 2024 should “become the year of rapprochement” with the European Union and NATO, in comments of his 2023 report in the legislative body.
Ladies and Gentlemen, my today’s speech is my last report as a Speaker of the Parliament before the 2024 parliamentary elections. This is why, in addition to presenting 2023 report, I will use this opportunity to summarise the processes developed around and with participation of current convocation of Parliament that was full of political and historic developments.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday alleged “radicalism, not polarisation” was the problem of domestic politics in the country.