Georgian Parliament Speaker: Georgia’s future must be determined solely by Georgian people

Georgia is an independent and sovereign state, and only the Georgian people have the right to determine its future, said on Wednesday Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

Commenting on recent statements by opposition leaders Gigi Tsereteli, Giga Bokeria, and Zurab Japaridze, the Parliament Speaker argued that their remarks once again confirmed that the Georgian authorities and the Georgian people are right in accusing them of acting against state interests and serving as agents of foreign influence.

“In recent months, statements by radical anti-Georgian political forces concerning issues of national importance have become increasingly frequent and deliberate. These statements seek to undermine Georgia’s sovereignty in favor of other states”, he said.

“The public witnessed another such statement yesterday from the radical opposition alliance. We saw Gigi Tsereteli, Giga Bokeria, and Zurab Japaridze discussing the increased interest of the United States in our region and attempting to convince the public that Georgia’s mission should not be to protect its own national interests, but rather to serve the interests of another country, in this case the United States”, Papuashvili continued.

The Speaker added that the country’s development path, choice of government, and strategic decisions are formed through democratic processes.

“This is a fundamental principle that cannot be replaced by political speculation or external pressure. Unfortunately, we increasingly see attempts to move political competition beyond the framework of democratic contests and turn it into a campaign directed against Georgia’s international image and state interests”, he said.

“This is evidenced by the fact that radical political groups based on the ideology of the United National Movement spread messages aimed not at serving our people and country, but at advancing external political agendas in pursuit of their partisan goals. Particularly alarming is the tendency to portray Georgia as an ally or foothold of Russia and Iran in the region, a claim that is entirely detached from reality”, Papuashvili continued.

The Speaker further highlighted that Russia occupies 20% of Georgia’s territory, and diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia have been severed, stressing that this alone speaks to the nature of relations between the two countries.

“As for Iran, while it is one of the key countries in our region, Georgia’s political and economic relations with Iran do not come close to the level of engagement that other regional states maintain with it. Therefore, promoting such narratives serves only to create false perceptions about Georgia and damage its international reputation”, he noted.

“The same context applies to attempts to discredit the dynamic and productive strategic partnership between Georgia and China, whereas any partnership should be assessed solely on the basis of how well it serves Georgia’s national interests. It is categorically unacceptable when local political groups act as conduits for the interests of foreign powers in Georgia”, the Speaker added.

Papuashvili stressed that the identity or origin of these forces was irrelevant, saying that nations formed states in order to distinguish their own interests from those of others.

“It is unacceptable for anyone, even under the banner of the interests of our friend, the United States, to attempt to harm Georgia’s interests”, he added.

“Unfortunately, this is precisely the kind of behavior we see from the radical opposition, whose statements often suggest that Georgia’s national interests are secondary to the political priorities of external actors whose interests they seek to defend”, Papuashvili continued.

Papuashvili noted that these actors now openly imply that Georgia exists merely to accommodate the plans of other states, even against the will of Georgia and the Georgian people.

“Clearly, these political forces understand that claims about ties between Georgia and Russia or Georgia and Iran are not credible. Therefore, it becomes evident that their primary objective is to undermine the strategic partnership between Georgia and China for the benefit of the forces whose political agenda they serve”, he said.

Papushvili called on the public to critically assess any information aimed at fostering attitudes contrary to Georgia’s national interests, emphasising that healthy partnerships between states are based not on one country serving another’s interests, but on identifying areas where national interests converge.

“That is the essence of sovereignty. History teaches us that the gravest consequences for a country arise when internal political conflicts are placed above state interests. The experience of the last century reminds us how dangerous it is to weaken national unity and allow foreign agendas to influence a country’s internal affairs”, the Speaker concluded.