Georgian Parliament Speaker says Georgia and China agree on need to restore respect for international law

Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday described his official visit to China as historic, emphasising that it marks the first official visit by a Georgian parliamentary speaker to China in the past 20 years.

Speaking to journalists in China, Papuashvili said the visit underlined the historically high level of relations between the two countries and reflected the growing strategic partnership between Georgia and China.

Summarising the visit of the Georgian parliamentary delegation, Papuashvili noted that a series of important meetings had been held, with discussions focused primarily on deepening bilateral cooperation.

“A strategic partnership, visa-free travel, and a free trade agreement have existed between China and Georgia for several years, which ultimately reflects positively on our population as well as on the relations between the countries”, he said.

“Specifically, trade between the nations has increased, tourism between the nations has increased, and direct flights between the nations have increased, which allows our country to benefit economically, as well as in terms of developing people-to-people relations and tourism”, the speaker continued.

Papuashvili further added that within the framework of this visit, he had the opportunity to meet with his counterpart, as well as to hold meetings with circles that have a significant influence on political decision-making.

“We also discussed the existing challenges in the world regarding security and the violation of the principles of international law. It is clear that the Chinese authorities and we have an absolutely identical approach - that every country must return to respecting international law, and the principle of peaceful coexistence must be paramount”, he concluded.