TBILISI, November 9 – Georgia’s parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili has accused Brussels of deliberately halting the country’s EU membership process months before Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s controversial statements about freezing accession talks. Speaking to Georgian journalists on Sunday, Papuashvili said the European Union made the decision after Tbilisi demanded transparency about how EU funds were … Read more
TBILISI, November 5 – Tbilisi has fired back at Brussels over the European Commission’s latest enlargement report, accusing the EU of political bias, disrespect, and interference in Georgia’s domestic affairs. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said Tuesday that if there is any “backsliding,” it is in Brussels, not in Georgia. In a series of statements responding … Read more
TBILISI, September 20 – Georgia’s parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili has strongly rejected a new sanctions package proposed in the U.S. Congress. The so-called “Georgian Nightmare Act” was adopted as a proposed addition to the National Defense Authorization Act by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and would instruct officials not to take any action or allocate funds … Read more
TBILISI, August 31 – A fresh clash has erupted between Georgia’s authorities and the UK Embassy over the treatment of civil society groups. The embassy said it was “deeply disturbed” by the Prosecutor General’s Office decision to freeze the bank accounts of seven NGOs under investigation for alleged sabotage. It warned the move looked politically … Read more
TBILISI, July 30 – In a speech in Geneva, Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili claimed excessive foreign interference has harmed the development of Georgia’s democracy, calling instead for international actors to respect national sovereignty. In a speech at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, the speaker claimed that some foreign-funded NGOs in … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–A senior Georgian Dream (GD) official has accused Lithuania’s political elite of behaving like Soviet bureaucrats, following the Baltic country’s decision to expand visa bans on Georgian officials. The latest visa restrictions adds ten more individuals to a growing list of Georgians barred from entering Lithuania, bringing the total to 112. In a public … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Speaker of Georgia’s Parliament has accused European Union-funded organizations of preparing to disrupt the country’s upcoming local elections. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said Tuesday that“organizations funded by the EU embassy are preparing to disrupt the local elections.” He further claimed that the groups’s activities amount to a violation of international law and warned … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council will meet on June 23, and the political situation in Georgia is one of the items on the agenda. Ahead of the meeting, some European leaders, including Poland’s PM Donald Tusk, have been lobbying member states to adopt tougher measures in order to pur pressure on Georgia on … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council will meet on June 23, and the political situation in Georgia is one of the items on the agenda. Ahead of the meeting, some European leaders, including Poland’s PM Donald Tusk, have been lobbying member states to adopt tougher measures in order to pur pressure on Georgia on … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili in an open letter accused Western diplomats of overstepping their authority, interfering in Georgia’s domestic affairs and promoting polarization. The letter, published June 7, represents the latest round of Georgian Dream (GD) using open letters to air grievances with Western countries and Tbilisi’s diplomatic corps. Papuashvili argued that the … Read more