Georgian Parliament Speaker: Brussels has become prisoner of its own policy toward Georgia

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said on Wednesday that Brussels had reached an impasse with its policy toward Georgia and had become “a prisoner of its own” policy, adding that Georgia wanted to help the EU overcome the deadlock.

Journalists asked Papuashvili about his planned visit to Luxembourg and whether he intended to reiterate the critical remarks he had made about the European Union.

“We want to help Brussels get out of this impasse. It is important for us to have dialogue with the member states, present our arguments and break through the false narrative that Brussels’ bureaucracy is trying to establish regarding Georgia”, he said.

Papuashvili said it was well known that EU funds had been used to finance violent protests.

The Parliament Speaker said Georgian government representatives had planned visits and meetings with EU member states, adding that such engagements would not be affected by what he described as the negative stance of parts of the European bureaucracy toward Georgia.

“Brussels has reached an impasse with its policy toward Georgia and has become a prisoner of itself - a prisoner of its own illusions and false narratives. It cannot get out of this impasse. Therefore, we want to help Brussels get out of it”, he said.

“By remaining in this impasse, Brussels is harming the interests of the European Union because it has chosen a policy of confrontation with a candidate country. This is a candidate country that is important for the European Union not only politically but also economically, particularly when we talk about transport routes and the EU’s strategic objectives”, Papuashvili continued.

He stressed that, in his view, the EU bureaucracy’s policy toward Georgia was currently harming the interests of the European Union.

“We want to help Brussels change this policy. Since they have become prisoners of their own illusions and continue to respond to aggressive rhetoric with even more aggressive rhetoric, we believe it is important to maintain dialogue with the member states and discuss this issue with them”, he said.

“We want to present our arguments as to why we believe that Brussels, which should represent the interests of the EU member states, is ultimately harming the interests of individual member states and the European Union as a whole through its current policy toward Georgia. Therefore, the purpose of such visits is to break through the false narrative that Brussels’ bureaucracy is trying to establish regarding Georgia”, the Speaker concluded.