The ruling Georgian Dream party MP Irakli Zarkua says that a reason cited by MEPs Viola von Cramon, Marina Kaljurand and Miriam Lexmann on a canceled meeting in Georgian parliament, ‘as a new parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili did not find time’ for this, is ‘unacceptable and inadequate.’ 

The meeting should have pushed forward the Jean Monnet Dialogue in the Georgian state legislature - a dialogue with the involvement of MEPs which aims to facilitate cooperation between local political parties. 

Zarkua stated that the recent election of Papuashvili, as well as a new President of the European Parliament required changes in protocol. 

“The MEPs were either misled or they are trying to dramatize the situation,” Zarkua said. 

He stated that the cooperation with the EU and MEPs are of high importance for Georgia, ‘however, we cannot tolerate such statements.’