Shalva Papuashvili: We are receiving information that instructions are being sent from Brussels to various capitals to avoid meetings with different delegations from Georgia; fortunately, there are still many true Europeans who do not share this Soviet-style approach

"We see that Brussels is attempting to block Georgia’s bilateral relations with EU member states. We have received information from various sources indicating that direct instructions are being issued from Brussels to these capitals to avoid meetings with Georgian delegations. It is truly astonishing—how could an organization that once styled itself as a 'peace project' engage in such destructive behavior?" Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, stated during his visit to the Czech Republic.

According to Papuashvili, Brussels is currently seeking to harm Georgia and the Georgian people simply because it failed to bring the "National Movement" to power in the 2024 elections.

"We held meetings in Parliament—with the Speaker of Parliament and the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee—as well as with members of the government, including the First Deputy Prime Minister, and at the Ministry of Defence. In every instance, we discussed our bilateral relations, as we observe that Brussels is attempting to block Georgia’s bilateral ties with EU member states. We have received information from various sources indicating that direct instructions are being issued from Brussels to these capitals to avoid holding meetings with Georgian delegations. Fortunately, there are still many 'true Europeans' within the EU, and not everyone subscribes to this—frankly—Soviet-style approach adopted by Brussels. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to us that our bilateral relations with EU member states do not fall victim to this anti-Georgian policy pursued by Brussels. It is regrettable that Brussels is currently attempting to harm Georgia and the Georgian people; this stems from the fact that, in 2024, they sided with the 'collective National Movement' and sought to return them to power. They were defeated in the very elections they themselves had framed as a referendum, and what we have been witnessing for the past two years is an act of retaliation against the Georgian people and Georgia itself, aimed at bringing the "collective National Movement" to power through undemocratic means and by bypassing the electoral process. Therefore, our objective today—amidst the harmful policy that Brussels is pursuing against Georgia—is to ensure that we do not lose our bilateral relations; on the contrary, we must deepen them with our partners. As a vital link in the "Middle Corridor," we play a significant role in the economic and energy security of various EU member states. For instance, the Czech Republic receives 40% of its crude oil imports from Azerbaijan via Georgia. Furthermore, a gas supply agreement was recently signed between the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan, with the gas set to reach the Czech Republic via the Middle Corridor through Georgia. Consequently, it is essential that our bilateral relations remain as close and friendly as possible. We consistently demonstrate our commitment to reliable partnership, and we are pleased to maintain a strong, constructive partnership with the Czech Republic. It is astonishing that we are witnessing such destructive behavior—how could an organization that was billed as a 'peace project'—created for the sake of peace, dialogue, and cooperation—now attempt to harm a candidate country, simply because the 'collective National Movement' failed to come to power during the elections?" stated Papuashvili.