Georgian Parliament official on global developments: calls for tougher stance ignore reality - harsh statements would damage Georgia

Gia Volski, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and the First Vice Speaker of the Parliament, on Sunday said that despite calls for Georgia to take a more active and outspoken position on global issues, the authorities concluded - based on expertise and realistic analysis - that harsh statements and actions would damage the country.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Volski noted that the political stagnation that had existed for years has abruptly shifted toward a pragmatic agenda proposed by the world’s new [US] administration.

“The world has changed. You can see what processes are unfolding - confrontations are emerging in places where no one expected them. For example, the United States is raising claims toward Canada. The Prime Minister of Canada traveled to China, discussions were held on strategic partnership, and this somehow went largely unnoticed. The same can be said about developments in the Latin American region”, he said.

“First of all, we need to understand what Greenland represents and whether it is worth escalating conflicts with allies within the NATO framework over this issue. It is an island, its southern part is populated by around 40,000 to 50,000 people, but the US had - and still has - a very large military base there, staffed by several hundred personnel. This is not an ordinary military base; it is a military space base. Given the tense global environment, preventive measures related to security issues are now firmly on the agenda”, Volski concluded.