Georgian Parliament official: Middle Corridor has become functional reality through Georgia’s peace-oriented policy

Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Regional Policy and Self-government Committee, on Tuesday said Georgia’s “peace-focused policy” had transformed the Middle Corridor into a working and development-oriented trade route, arguing that this reality could not be changed by political statements from European Union officials.

Kadagishvili commented on Marta Kos’s statement, who earlier said that since the start of the war in Iran, nearly all aircraft were flying through the South Caucasus and that the Middle Corridor offers the EU greater security for trade, energy, and digital connectivity.

In his remarks, Kadagishvili stressed that Georgia, as the only Black Sea country in the South Caucasus, remains central to the corridor.

“Political rhetoric, no matter how refined it may be, cannot change geography. In the South Caucasus, the country located on the Black Sea is Georgia. Therefore, for now, they do not have the ability to change this reality. The only actor that has created certain problems for us in this regard and occupied part of our Black Sea coastline is Russia. It would be good if they stopped ignoring the rest of Georgia and did not align, in this respect, with the rhetoric of the occupier”, he said.

The official further noted that Georgia’s consistent peace policy had made the Middle Corridor operational despite regional challenges.

“Through its peace policy, Georgia has managed to turn the Middle Corridor into a viable, functional, and development corridor. Whether some officials in the EU like it or not, this is the reality they must face. Their interest should not be about having in power the government they prefer, but rather ensuring that the country is governed by the government elected by its people - a government that ensures, including for them, the vital functioning, existence, and peaceful maintenance of this corridor in the difficult geopolitical situation surrounding our region”, Kadagishvili noted.

He expressed hope that the EU would adopt a more rational, far-sighted policy focused on practical cooperation rather than ideological preferences or attempts to influence Georgia’s domestic politics.

“I would like to believe that a deeper, more rational, and more far-sighted vision of policy will prevail in the European Union, rather than narrow, clearly ideologized political approaches”, he concluded.