Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament‘s Speaker, said at a press briefing that “the resolution which the European parliament will adopt today goes far beyond our usual disappointment.”
He said that the fourth resolution adopted by the EP on Georgia since the start of the war in Ukraine was based on “false stories and personal attacks.”
“The message which urges the imposition of sanctions on Bidzina is disturbing. This is the third EP resolution where certain forces use EU institutions to attack Bidzina and incite political revenge on a person whose role in maintaining peace in Georgia, and not making it a place of conflict geopolitically, are indefinite. It appears that the authors of this resolution realized that their obsession with Bidzina Ivanishvili was not serious, and brought Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in on it.
“The text about Mikheil Saakashvili, which attempts to’rescue him’ from fair punishment, is shameful. The EU, once again and with illegal pressure, tries’rescuing’ him. I remind MEPs who support the resolution as mere statistics that we are talking about an individual who, as the European Court has confirmed, established a torture system in Georgian jails, closed television stations, and left tens of thousands of people victims of its tragic outcomes. It is shameful for the Georgian people to continue to watch these European leaders who have covered up Saakashvili’s crimes for 20 years and now try to rescue him unconditionally from jail.
“It’s disgusting that the EU’s official first resolution calls for the imposition bilateral sanctions against Russia. It is good to see that the issue is finally in the open. The resolution authors had previously avoided discussing sanctions publicly. This resolution made it clear that the Georgian people were under pressure from certain actors for a long period of time.
“The society must know that Georgia’s imposition bilateral sanctions will not harm Russia. If our government met these or other requirements, Georgia, and the Georgian population, would be guaranteed to fall into economic collapse, and they could face a military confrontation.
“The resolution shows how much they care about the fate of the Georgian people. Representatives from countries under the EU and NATO umbrellas are demanding that Georgia escalate its actions. Georgia is not protected by either the EU or NATO.
“The resolution, initiated by certain EU groups just days before the election is an attempt to shape voters’ will and categorically contravenes our common European values.
“The discussion yesterday also showed that, fortunately common sense can be found within the EU, which will gradually and with the passage of time stop the trend away from European values. I want to thank them for their correct assessments and support of the Georgian people.
“I want to reiterate my call to all foreign actors that they must respect our sovereign right of holding elections free from foreign influence. This is the fundamental principle of a rules-based international system.
The Speaker concluded, “I am confident that the European parliament will respect the decision made by the Georgians on October 26 and I urge the EU-funded organizations and the opposition to accept this as the verdict of democracy.”
14 members of the European parliament prepared a resolution on Georgia that, among other demands calls for sanctions against Russia and Ivanishvili as well as other individuals. It also calls for the release of Saakashvili and the repealing of the Law On Family Values. The draft is entitled “On the backsliding democracy and threats to Georgia’s political pluralism.”
Related story: EP draft resolution: EP expects peaceful transfer of power to the “Dream”.
Read More @ georgiatoday.ge