Shalva Papuashvili on the summit organized by Euronews: You saw a Prime Minister who spoke about dialogue and tried to explain our position, and you saw a host who listened to no one but herself
"Unfortunately, Brussels has chosen the path of confrontation rather than dialogue. This is, of course, un-European behavior—though, regrettably, this approach has recently come to dominate the European Union’s foreign policy. You saw a Prime Minister who consistently spoke of dialogue and tried to explain our position, and you saw a host who listened to no one but herself." This statement was made by the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, regarding the participation of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in the EU Enlargement Summit organized by Euronews.
According to Papuashvili, the attitude displayed by the host—who conducted the interview with Kobakhidze—serves as a clear illustration of the current state of relations between Georgia and the European Union.
"We have stated on numerous occasions that, unfortunately, Brussels has chosen the path of confrontation rather than dialogue. This is, of course, un-European behavior—though, regrettably, such conduct has recently come to dominate the European Union’s foreign policy. We observe that the EU—its foreign policy spokespersons and commissioners—is focused on escalation, confrontation, and the rhetoric of war; this stands in radical opposition to the very founding idea of the European Union. It represents a regression to the rhetoric of a century ago—a deeply disappointing stance from the EU. On another note, it was quite revealing to observe the interviewer, who, in my view, perfectly illustrated where the core problem lies. You saw a Prime Minister consistently advocating for dialogue and attempting to explain our position, contrasted with an interviewer who refused to listen to anyone but herself. I believe this served as the perfect illustration of the current state of relations between the European Union and Georgia. Georgia, acting calmly and with its national interests in mind, calls upon the EU to engage in dialogue and substantive discussion; yet the EU—represented here by this host—responds with accusations, rejects dialogue, and refuses to listen to anyone but itself," stated Papuashvili.
