Parliament Speaker: 2024 should be “year of rapprochement” with EU, NATO

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. Photo: Parliament

Agenda.ge, 22 Feb 2024 - 15:07, Tbilisi,Georgia

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.

Papuashvili told MPs the ruling Georgian Dream Government had made “unprecedented progress” in “moving toward Europe” over the past decade.

It is necessary to continue and accelerate this progress. The Parliament has done an immense amount of work to implement the 12 recommendations [outlined by the European Commission for Georgia to receive the membership candidate status, granted in December] and deepen sectoral integration”, he said. 

The official claimed Georgia was “ahead of many EU candidate countries in objective parameters”, but the “ultimate goal” was full EU membership.

Papuashvili also highlighted the importance of ensuring “peaceful and fair” parliamentary elections in October, which he said was “in the best interests of all responsible parties”.

Photo: Parliament of Georgia

The Speaker noted several reforms had been implemented in electoral legislation, to “practically exclude any kind of speculation” on electoral fraud.

Papuashvili also mentioned “increasing aggression and violence” around the world in his comments.

Several of our partner democracies are under unprecedented pressure from Ukraine to the Middle East. The task of the democratic community should be to secure and develop Georgia as an oasis of democratic stability. For this, all healthy forces inside and outside the country should be united”, he said.

The official emphasised the importance of “strengthening democracy and the rule of law” in Georgia and “preventing the spread of war and violence” in his remarks to lawmakers.