Georgian Parliament Speaker highlights “national identity, traditional family values, Christian heritage” as guiding principles on path toward EU integration

Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said he was pleased to visit Slovakia together with the Georgian parliamentary delegation and emphasised the importance of deepening parliamentary cooperation between the two countries following a meeting with the speaker of the Slovak Parliament Richard Raši.

“I am delighted to visit the Slovak Republic together with the parliamentary delegation of Georgia. We had a productive meeting with my counterpart Richard Raši. I remember our previous meeting held last year in Geneva during the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. That meeting gave an additional strong impetus to parliamentary dialogue between our countries”, Papuashvili stated after the meeting.

According to the Georgian Parliament speaker, the current visit once again confirms the commitment of both sides to further developing parliamentary ties amid a challenging global environment where partnership and mutual understanding are more important than ever.

Papuashvili underlined the significance of strengthening parliamentary relations and deepening cooperation between friendship groups. He also expressed Georgia’s gratitude for Slovakia’s continued support.

“I expressed our appreciation to Slovakia for its unwavering support for Georgia. This support is highly valued”, he said.

The parties also noted the growing intensity of high-level exchanges, which, according to Papuashvili, clearly demonstrates the shared commitment to deepening cooperation across various fields.

He stressed that Georgia remains firmly committed to protecting national sovereignty, people’s democracy, and the rule of law.

“True European values, including preserving national identity, traditional family values, and our Christian heritage, serve as guiding principles on our path toward European Union integration. The Georgian government does not intend to engage in artificial or divisive ideological confrontations that do not serve the interests of our societies”, Papuashvili stated.

The two sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation, particularly at the parliamentary level, where dialogue and the sharing of experience play a decisive role in achieving common goals. Papuashvili said Georgia fully supports active parliamentary relations between parliamentary administrations, friendship groups, and sectoral committees.

During the meeting, the speakers also discussed Georgia-European Union relations and Slovakia’s experience in the European integration process.

“We also spoke about the challenges in Georgia-EU relations and emphasized our commitment to constructive dialogue. We appreciate Slovakia’s readiness to share its experience gained during the European integration process”, Papuashvili noted.

He added that bilateral cooperation is aimed at reducing regional tensions, preventing unnecessary wars, and ensuring peace and stability, which would contribute to the further development of both societies, improvement of people’s lives, and productive economic cooperation.

Papuashvili also thanked the Slovak National Council for its warm hospitality and expressed readiness to deepen the partnership in the coming years.