“The more Brussels praises you, the more it harms us with its own decisions and imposed directives,” Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said, commenting on European Commissioner Marta Kos’s statement: “Moldova is moving forward at an impressive pace on its path toward joining the European Union.”

According to Papuashvili, “the only thing that could be considered impressive about Moldova’s progress in the European integration process is the praise it receives from Brussels.”

“It is receiving more and more praise, but our experience has taught us that the more Brussels praises you, the more it harms us through its own decisions and imposed directives.

“Moldova’s economic growth rate was higher than Georgia’s before the war in Ukraine. In 2021, its economic growth rate was almost 14%, while ours was around 10%. After the war in Ukraine began, Moldova first experienced a 5% economic decline, after which its economic growth rate has fluctuated between 0% and 2%, while in Georgia the average economic growth rate has been 9%.

“What is the difference? Moldova listens to Brussels; we do not listen to Brussels.

Second, more than 31% of Moldova’s citizens live below the poverty line - almost one-third of the population lives below the poverty line despite all these forms of assistance and progress. During the same period, we reduced this figure to 7%.

What is the difference? Moldova listens to the Brussels bureaucracy; we do not.

The conclusion is that those who listen to Brussels are harmed, while those who do not listen to Brussels and instead listen to their own people are better off economically.

The only thing Moldova is truly ahead of us in is Brussels’ beautiful words. We certainly do not need such beautiful words if behind those beautiful words we are only being harmed by policies imposed by Brussels,” Shalva Papuashvili said.