“I don’t think the Georgian people support returning to the Soviet Union, which today’s leadership in Brussels is showing us through its behavior. It is the Soviet Union toward which Brussels is currently steering the EU,” said Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia.

According to him, Georgia is ready for dialogue, but Brussels is taking a confrontational approach toward the Georgian people and has completely removed dialogue from its political toolbox.

“At one time, the Georgian state made a decision that, regardless of the positions expressed from Moscow, it would not shape its policy according to those positions, but would instead protect Georgia’s national interests. This brought us results: peaceful and stable development in Georgia and economic growth. Therefore, we do not look at statements or gatherings in Russia, but at the interests of our nation. I believe we should develop the same approach toward Brussels. We should not give excessive attention, especially given that we see groups there that openly declare hostile policies toward the Georgian people.

Today, the EU’s foreign policy direction is led by the Prime Minister of Estonia, whose Foreign Minister, during her tenure as Prime Minister, even participated in a rally of radicals in Georgia. So, naturally, the Georgian people should not expect anything positive from her. We also see countries that have openly declared hostile policies toward the Georgian people and say this will continue until they bring ‘United National Movement’ back to power.

We must always remember that common sense exists everywhere, and we hope that voices of reason will appear in such meetings [EU Foreign Affairs Council meetings] and will not allow hostile policies toward the Georgian people. They only look at their own interests and see Georgia and the Georgian people as a tool against Russia.

I don’t think the Georgian people support returning to the Soviet Union, which today’s leadership in Brussels is showing through its actions. They are showing us that we should feel like a small nation that must obey instructions from other countries; that we should choose a government based on what Estonia’s Foreign Minister tells us; that we should vote according to the preferences of other countries’ ministers; that we should adopt laws dictated by them. This is the Soviet Union toward which Brussels is pushing the EU today.

The Georgian people have never said they want to return to the Soviet Union, to give up independence, to have laws written not by the parliament elected by the Georgian people but by foreigners, or to allow foreign money to be spent in Georgian politics without transparency, treating Georgians as if we are not even worthy of knowing how that money is used.

Georgia and its government maintain an open-door policy; we are ready for dialogue. Unfortunately, Brussels today is only ready for confrontation, and dialogue has disappeared from its toolbox in relation to the Georgian people. Only confrontation, instructions, and directives remain, until the Georgian people fully comply with their preferences.

We see that this current leadership in Brussels does not want to bother itself with other issues. We must increase our efforts in bilateral relations and engage directly with our counterparts, because Brussels today is acting as a censor within the EU and is trying to present Georgia and the Georgian people only in a negative context to member states,” Papuashvili said.