The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, stated that every country is guided by its own interests and no one “cares about the interests of others, especially small nations,” which end up crushed during the struggles of major players.
He also noted that in the hands of external forces, the “radical opposition” is betraying Georgia’s interests. The goal of major political players is to promote their own interests at Georgia’s expense, the speaker explained, while the “radicals” have no emotional attachment to the country.
“If Georgia is harmed and this proves beneficial to another country, force, or group, they will not show any particular sensitivity to this. When you are a citizen of this country and allow yourself to be used as a tool against your own state to advance foreign political, geopolitical, or economic interests, that is precisely what constitutes a betrayal of the country, and this must be spoken about openly,” Papuashvili stated.
According to the head of the Georgian parliament, “the world has virtually gone mad” and there is no rules-based world order, since “today the principle of force prevails.”
“Therefore, we need to be cautious. The radical opposition’s approach is that an external smile, a red carpet, applause, hugs, or financial support is enough for them — and they are ready to hand over Georgia’s interests on a silver platter. This is precisely what constitutes a betrayal of national interests.
Our approach is completely different. It is based on a genuine partnership, which implies that there is no relationship of subordination between two states, where one serves the other. On the contrary, both countries strive to find an alignment of their national interests,” Papuashvili stated.