Georgian Parliament official says EU officials reaping consequences of their statements on Georgia

Rati Ionatamishvili, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights Protection and Civil Integration, on Tuesday reviewed the EU’s annual enlargement report scheduled for 4 November, saying that EU officials had effectively waged a hybrid war against their own countries through “unfair statements” about Georgia, and were now reaping the consequences in European cities.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Ionatamishvili noted that international interest in Georgia was growing and that discussions at the negotiating table were increasingly focused on the prospects of the Middle Corridor project rather than political resolutions.

“We remember the European Parliament resolution adopted two weeks ago, as well as Gvaramia’s claims that a very harsh decision would be taken against Georgia at a meeting of the European Commission and the European Council. We also remember that the European Commissioners then met to discuss the possibility of addressing Georgia-related issues in January. In other words, they met to discuss when they would meet”, he said.

“On the other hand, another very interesting development emerged: more time at the negotiating table was devoted to the Middle Corridor project and its importance than to these endless resolutions, sanctions, visa restrictions and other issues. This is very positive and sends a very good signal, because Georgia’s importance on the geopolitical and economic map has increased tenfold for both Eastern and Western countries. The Middle Corridor concept also serves as a guarantee of energy security for EU member states. Naturally, interest in Georgia has grown significantly”, the official continued.

Ionatamishvili highlighted that Georgia’s main priorities should be to maintain security and peace and strengthen its sovereignty.

“Otherwise, other forces will take advantage of this importance and use it not in the interests of the Georgian people, but in pursuit of their own business or other interests. Therefore, our main task is to ensure that Georgia’s importance remains sustainable and attractive and continues to grow irreversibly on the world map. We will achieve this with the support of our population. There is no alternative to this path”, he said.

Ionatamishvili added that he would not be surprised if other countries followed Georgia’s example by adopting its law on assemblies and demonstrations, just as they had previously replicated its “transparency law”.