Georgian high-level visit to Ukraine

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili headed a multi-party Georgian parliamentary delegation to Ukraine. Vice Speakers Archil Talakvadze and Davit Sergeenko of the GD, as well as Chairwoman of the Diaspora and Caucasus Issues Committee Beka Odisharia of the GD, Vice Speaker Levan Ioseliani of Citizens Party, Ana Natsvlishvili of Lelo, Giorgi Khojevanishvili of For Georgia, Vakhtang Megrelishvili of New Political Center – Girchi was in the delegation. The United National Movement, the main opposition party declined to participate in the visit.  The itinerary for the trip, including the route to Ukraine and the MPs' agenda, has been kept under wraps.

The Georgian Parliament Speaker met with Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Chair of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, who had offered the Georgian colleague to visit Irpin or Bucha, the locations of suspected Russian war crimes. "No words can express the sorrow [and] anguish in Bucha and Irpin – an unfathomable [and] devastating catastrophe in the heart of Europe in the twenty-first century," Georgia's delegation leader Shalva Papuashvili tweeted. "Russia must put an end to these crimes," he urged. “There is no other option than to live in harmony."

The visit "in brotherly Ukraine" illustrates Georgia's unwavering and undivided support for Ukraine, the Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson stated on Facebook. "We couldn't have done it any other way since our countries are so close." Papuashvili stated that Georgians had memories of "our own Buchas and Irpins" from the battles in the 1990s and the August 2008 Russo-Georgian War in occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia.

"This has happened to us as well. Our cities, as well as our dreams, were bombarded and devastated. As a result, we, Georgians, feel your anguish," said Speaker Papuashvili. "We witness your great resistance, bravery, unbroken hearts, and tenacity, as difficult as it is. This sacrifice will be transmitted to our future generations as an example of virtue and daring," the Georgian Speaker continued. "Georgia will not support [Russia] in any way," stated Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairperson of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada, who led the Georgian team to Bucha and Irpin. 

Chairperson Stefanchuk also welcomed a Georgian delegation at the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv. The visit, according to the Speaker of the Rada, is an outstanding demonstration of solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Along with Speaker Papuashvili, Georgia's parliamentary delegation includes Vice Speakers Archil Talakvadze and Davit Sergeenko of the ruling Georgian Dream party, GD MP Beka Odisharia, Citizens Party Vice Speaker Levan Ioseliani, Lelo MP Ana Natsvlishvili, For Georgia MP Giorgi Khojevanishvili, Girchi MP Vakhtang Megrelishvili, and Republican Party leader MP Khatuna Samnidze.

European Parliament members met with Georgian leaders

A team from the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) visited Georgia to examine the impact of Russia's conflict in Ukraine on the country. Lukas Mandl (EPP, Austria), vice chair of SEDE, Juozas Olekas (S&D, Lithuania) and Elene Yoncheva (S&D, Bulgaria), and MEP Lars Patrick Berg made up the group (ECR, Germany).

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze, and parliamentarians from the ruling Georgian Dream and opposition parties met with MEPs.

The sides addressed the conflict in Ukraine, Russian-occupied Georgian provinces of Tskhinvali/South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the security environment in the Black Sea, and Georgia's European integration during their meeting with the Georgian President. According to the Presidential Administration, President Zourabichvili informed MEPs that she will continue to "actively participate" in Georgia's EU rapprochement process. She also emphasised Georgia's determination to refraining from using force in the seized territories. "We give the people of our seized regions the possibility of Europe, not of conflict," said the President.

PM Garibashvili spoke on the EU institutions' support for the Associated Trio's – Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova – membership. The parties also addressed the security difficulties posed by Russia's conflict against Ukraine, as well as the significance of increasing cooperation in the Black Sea area, notably in transportation and communications, according to the government's press office.

Meanwhile, according to the Georgian Defence Ministry, Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze and MPs focused on Georgia's defence reforms, as well as regional developments and the crisis in Ukraine.

At the European Parliament, MEPs Maka Bochorishvili, Levan Karumidze, Mariam Lashkhi, Irakli Chikovani, Vladimer Chachibaia, and Tamar Taliashvili met with GD MPs from the Committees for European Integration, Foreign Relations, and Defence and Security. The parties addressed Russian occupation, hybrid threats, and the necessity of international partners' assistance for Georgia in this area, according to the Parliament's press office.

On the same day, MEPs met with opposition lawmakers Levan Ioseliani of the Citizens' party, Khatia Dekanoidze of the United National Movement, Ana Buchukuri of For Georgia, Khatuna Samnidze of the Republican party, Giorgi Vashadze of Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Pridon Injia of European Socialists, and Hermann Szabó of the New Political Center – Girchi.

Following the meeting, MP Giorgi Vashadze stated that the main subjects of discussion were the Georgian government's position on Russia's conflict against Ukraine and the changes required for EU membership.After the meeting, Lelo MP Samadashvili remarked, "every friend and supporter of Georgia in the European Parliament roots for our nation, its security, and also our destiny toward the EU.""They want Georgia's EU membership application to be successful, but it is evident that without the reforms that our nation needs, our country will not be successful on its route to EU membership," the message continued.