The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has commented on a statement by the official spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MID), Maria Zakharova, regarding the potential inclusion of Georgia in the list of “unfriendly countries” should it join the EU. Papuashvili asserts that the government is guided exclusively by the interests of its citizens:
“In 35 years of independence, we have grown accustomed to the fact that those who followed external assessments did not bring good results for the country. Since ‘Georgian Dream’ [the ruling party] has been in power, it is precisely because it does not heed external statements and listens only to its own people that we have had 14 years of continuous peace and significant economic growth. This has allowed us to achieve high development rates in just a few years and become one of the world leaders.
As for trade, as I understand it, Russia itself actively trades with the European Union and is interested in doing so. Mention was made of alcoholic beverages, wine, and so on. I would remind you that if Russia has unfriendly relations with anyone, it is the Baltic states. At the same time, Lithuania was a leader and ahead of Georgia in wine exports, including to Russia. Therefore, I cannot comment on the specifics of the statement, but I repeat: we act in the interests of our people and will do what is best for them,” Papuashvili stated.
As a reminder, Maria Zakharova previously stated that Georgia’s accession to the European Union and its joining of anti-Russian sanctions would deal a “serious blow” to the country’s tourism industry and deprive it of preferential trade relations with Russia and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries. According to her, in such an event, Russia would have to include Georgia on its list of unfriendly states.
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