📍 At the plenary session of the Parliament, the chairman of the political group “European Socialists” of the Parliament of Georgia, Fridon Injia, evaluated the activities of the country’s foreign ministry and focused on the main challenges and tasks in the state’s foreign policy.
📍 Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilia Darchiashvili presented a report on the activities of the Ministry in the format of “Minister’s Hour” in the highest legislative body.
🔴 unification of the country;
🔴 maintaining peace in the country;
🔴 return of refugees and immigrants to Georgia to strengthen Georgia with their intellectual, cultural and financial resources;
🔴 economic progress and development;
These are the issues that the chairman of the political group emphasized in his speech.
🔶 According to Fridon Injia, there are often talks about the existence of three ways to solve the first and most important task – the problem of reunification of the country. In particular, they consider Georgia’s NATO membership as one of the ways to unify the country; Georgia’s accession to the European Union is considered the second way; The third way is a direct dialogue with the country under whose control the indigenous territories of our country are.
🔶 “Let’s consider all three options. I believe that the rhetoric about joining NATO led to the loss of 20% of Georgia’s territories. The reason for this was the 2008 Bucharest record. The rhetoric, the introduction of military equipment, which was then quietly and immediately handed over to Russia in 2008.
🔶 Even then, I doubted that the NATO army would enter and protect the territory of Georgia. Today, the events in Ukraine convinced me and many around me that no NATO soldiers will enter Georgia and protect and fight for our country. Accordingly, the yearning for NATO, various records, armaments caused and caused the situation that is created in Ukraine today.
🔶 Was it worth it for Ukraine?
🔶 As one of the candidates for the American presidency from the Republican Party, Kennedy said that 350,000 soldiers have died in Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict. Cities, villages are destroyed, infrastructure is lost, 20% of Ukraine’s territory is lost, and I don’t think it was worth it for the country. We very often talked about the fact that in order to avoid this situation, it was necessary to fulfill the Minsk agreement.
🔶 Today, Russian military bases are located in our indigenous territories, and I believe that any kind of relationship with the NATO army will not bring anything good to Georgia. Therefore, I do not think that Georgia’s accession to NATO is a way to save the country and restore its territorial integrity.
🔶 Mr. Minister, you understand the situation well, and there are probably issues that are difficult to talk about out loud, maybe the soil is not ripe for it yet, but the truth is one thing…
🔶 You had to be a minister during the period when the territories of the countries in the world are being redistributed, and we, as a small country, cannot participate in this process, because practically nothing depends on us. That is why it is important to maintain the policy of peace that your agency is running today. Making peaceful politics is the way to preserve and save what we have today. – said Fridon Injia.
🔶 Regarding the issue of Georgia joining the European Union, the chairman of the political group believes that, of course, Georgia wants to be granted the status of a candidate for the European Union, but the European Union itself should no less want to accept this decision, otherwise it will lose Transcaucasia.
🔶 “The entire government moved to receive the status of a candidate for the European Union. While this status does not represent anything and does not give anything. We can cite the example of the Republic of Turkey, which has had the status of a candidate country for ten years, but no significant changes have occurred for the country. In relation to Georgia, there was no political will, which is why we were not granted the status of a candidate country. All the more so if we remember that Georgia was in the first place among the three countries with all the parameters” – said the deputy.
🔶 According to Fridon Injia, 12 recommendations were invented in order to color the status and bring it into certain frameworks, which, like the status of a candidate for the European Union, does nothing for the country. Practically, Georgia is already a candidate country for the European Union, since it has applied for this, and the European Union has also accepted the country’s application and has filled more than 2500 questions. Many other countries are in a similar situation, but for none of the countries has the EU put forward similar requirements or conditions for granting candidate status.
“This is a political decision. Therefore, no matter what efforts the current government of the country makes, and no matter what meetings are held at the highest level of the European Union
In this situation, these steps are pointless. The current government of the country really did everything to make Georgia a candidate country for the European Union, and today everything depends on the political will of the high officials of the European Commission. – noted Fridon Injia.
🔶 “You were dragged into these processes and invited to justify yourself every minute. Don’t kill yourself. You have done your best to be worthy and indeed every step you take is worthy.
🔶 I think that you, on the contrary, should impose a condition on the European Union – we will consider whether to join the European Union or not. Because we are a country that has a long history with its ancient culture, traditions, Georgian man’s relationship with his family, Georgian man’s relationship with his children, sanctity of the family, which is a shrine for every Georgian, hospitality. Such brilliant people as Shota Rustaveli, Vazha Pshavela and so on were born and worked in our country. who left their creativity not only to Georgia, but to the whole world.
🔶 We are a country where there has never been anti-Semitism or other religious manifestations, and Europe should learn this from us. We protect the interests of our country.” – said the MP.
🔶 Fridon Injia believes that it is impossible to achieve results without a direct dialogue with Russia on the way to unification of the country.
🔶 “No one can do your job better than you. No one will take your pain to heart more than you. That is why you looked for all opportunities for dialogue at the international level. Nothing is undecided.
In this case, there is a solution and everything should be done for direct dialogue. Of course, in this process, it is important to support the strategic partners of the country, but we should also take into account that the strategic partners may have their own interests, which do not coincide with the interests of our country,” said Fridon Injia.