Chairwoman of the European Integration Committee, Maka Bochorishvili, took part in the fall session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) held in Yerevan.

During her speech, Maka Bochorishvili talked about the security challenges in the region, the recent killing of a Georgian citizen by the Russian occupation forces and the consequences of the occupation.

"Two weeks ago, a Georgian citizen was killed in the Tskhinvali region as a result of a shooting by a representative of the Russian occupation forces. This is another reminder of what an occupation is. Georgia has been experiencing Russian aggression, occupation and the painful consequences of war for years. There are still Russian soldiers on our territories, whose presence is neither fair nor justified. Hundreds of thousands of people are still forcibly displaced from their homes and their rights are violated. There are illegal arrests, kidnappings and murders of Georgian citizens by the occupying forces," said Maka Bochorishvili.

The representative of the permanent delegation of the Parliament of Georgia to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly emphasized the need for long-term peace and stability in the South Caucasus and expressed hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan will find a way to achieve this.

"Peace and security have a special importance for our region. I would like to express my hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan will find a way to ensure sustainable peace in the South Caucasus," said Maka Bochorishvili.

In her speech, Maka Bochorishvili also responded to the positive recommendation given by the European Commission to Georgia on November 8 and expressed hope that the European Council will take into account the report of the European Commission and grant Georgia candidate status in December.

"We are grateful for the given European perspective, but we do not hide our disappointment because of the unnecessary differentiation between Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova. I hope that in December, the European Council will take into account the reports and recommendations of the European Commission, grant Georgia candidate status, and Georgia, together with other candidate countries, will begin the path to joining the European Union, which is vital for a better future for Europe," said Maka Bochorishvili.

*The quotes in the article have been double-translated from Georgian and wordings may be inaccurate.