Parliament Speaker emphasises Gov’t’s commitment to “values, principles, beliefs” on Ukraine war anniversary

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday emphasised the Georgian Government remained “true to its values, principles, and beliefs”, crediting the “steadfast approach” for the re-election of the ruling Georgian Dream party for the fourth consecutive time last October, in comments over the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In his social media message, Papuashvili reaffirmed that “national interests” remained the “guiding principle” of the Government, encompassing the “safeguarding of independence and sovereignty, reunification of the country, and welfare of its citizens”.

The national interest remains, as it should be, the guiding principle of the Georgian government. It includes safeguarding of our independence and sovereignty, unification of the country, and sustaining our people’s welfare, and serves as the cornerstone of our foreign policy. This understanding of the national interest was key to every decision since before and after the war started in Ukraine, exactly three years ago”, the Speaker said.

“Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, the Georgian Parliament passed a resolution on Ukraine, which spoke of the ‘inadmissibility of war’ and called on all governments to abstain from escalation. That resolution, from over three years ago, echoes what the US administration now offers as the cornerstone for peace”, he continued.  

Papuashvili reiterated the “unwavering solidarity” shown by the Georgian Government to the Ukrainian people since the onset of the war. He outlined a series of “key actions” taken in support of Ukraine, underscoring the Government’s “commitment” to upholding international law and condemning Russian aggression.

From the very beginning of the conflict, Georgia has offered full solidarity to Ukraine. We have consistently co-sponsored and joined every international political and legal document that condemns Russia’s unlawful actions”, he said.

In addition to its diplomatic efforts, Papuashvili noted that Georgia had been “proactive” in ensuring that international sanctions on Russia were not evaded.

The Speaker also highlighted the humanitarian response, noting that the Government had provided “significant” aid to Ukraine, including shelter for tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees.

Despite pressure, however, we did not impose bilateral sanctions on Russia, or restrict the land or air movement because such escalation would not have been even noticeable for Russia but would have caused economic collapse for Georgia and triggered a new war, in absence of any international security support or economic safeguards for Georgia”, the Speaker continued.

Papuashvili further voiced his “discontent” with the Ukrainian Government’s actions toward Georgia since the beginning of the war.

Only a week after the start of the war, the Ukrainian Government recalled its Ambassador from Georgia, and [President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy himself addressed the protesting crowd in front of Georgian Parliament, tweeting that the people of Georgia were ‘better than the Government’, thus clearly encouraging the protest against the authorities in Tbilisi”, the lawmaker said.

“Ukrainian officials, including the President’s national security adviser, openly called on Georgians to overtake Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region by force. The radical opposition and their affiliated NGOs declared ‘the bombs were better than the shame they had to endure’, because of the Georgian government’s policies”, the Speaker said.

Papuashvili also referred to “reaction” from Western capitals, particularly when he alleged Georgia had been pushed to adopt a “more aggressive” stance toward Russia, without an offer of “security guarantees or economic solidarity”.

The reaction from some Western capitals was not any better either. Despite the decade-long policy of ‘strategic patience’, which the Western countries had strongly suggested to Georgia, suddenly, our government was pushed to adopt an aggressive stance towards Russia, despite the lethal danger of the repeat aggression. This was happening without even a hint of either security guarantees or, at least, economic solidarity in case of escalation”, Papuashvili noted.

The Speaker concluded the Government’s commitment to “national sovereignty and its citizens” would remain “steadfast”, and pledged it would continue to “navigate the complexities of international relations while prioritising the country’s best interests”.