Georgian Parliament official: several EU member states have monopolised Brussels’ foreign policy towards Georgia

Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s European Integration Committee, on Thursday said several EU member states had “monopolised” Brussels’ foreign policy towards Georgia, adding that nothing could prevent dialogue between Tbilisi and Brussels if relations were based on objective assessments and fair treatment.

In a social media message, Makhashvili positively assessed Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili’s official visits to Belgium and Luxembourg, saying the meetings covered a range of key issues, including Georgia-EU relations, regional conflicts, the occupied territories and other security challenges.

According to Makhashvili, steps had been taken towards normalising Georgia-EU relations, while a number of EU member states had expressed readiness for constructive dialogue. He said that, under conditions of objective assessment and a fair approach, nothing could stand in the way of dialogue between Tbilisi and Brussels.

“The meetings with the Speakers of Parliament of both countries during the official visits of the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament to Belgium and Luxembourg were friendly, businesslike and substantive”, he said.

“We discussed Georgia-EU relations, Georgia’s domestic and foreign policy, developments in the South Caucasus, ongoing regional conflicts, the occupied territories and other security challenges, the Middle Corridor and related economic opportunities, bilateral relations and parliamentary diplomacy”, Makhashvili added.

He argued that several EU member states had monopolised Brussels’ foreign policy towards Georgia, while the progress the country had made on its path towards European integration had become hostage to bilateral political disputes with those states.

“It is difficult to understand how disliking something can lead to the belief that overturning the dialogue table and closing the door is the way to resolve it. This is not mature European policy. This is a policy of sulking and coercion”, he said.

“However, it can be said that steps have been taken towards normalising Georgia-EU relations. This path may be a long one, but it is encouraging that many member states are ready for substantive and constructive dialogue”, the official continued.

Makhashvili stressed that Georgia was not seeking privileged treatment, special conditions or shortcuts on its path to EU membership, but rather a fair approach.

“Under conditions of objective assessment and fair treatment, nothing can stand in the way of dialogue between Tbilisi and Brussels”, Makhashvili concluded.