Brussels visit can help restore Georgia-EU relations to full framework, ruling party MP

A visit by a Georgian parliamentary delegation to Brussels can help advance efforts to restore Georgia-EU relations to what Georgian officials describe as a “full framework”, Levan Makhashvili, chairman of Parliament’s European Integration Committee, said.

Makhashvili said the visit was particularly important for relations with Brussels and represented what he described as the beginning of a process to “melt the ice” in Georgia’s relations with the European Union.

“This is an important visit. It is, in a sense, the beginning of the path - the process of melting the ice - towards restoring full relations with the European Union,” Makhashvili said.

He added that, alongside bilateral relations with Belgium and Luxembourg, the delegation would focus on relations with Brussels, which he said were closely linked to Georgia-EU relations.

“We will discuss the problems that have hindered and damaged Georgia-Brussels relations,” Makhashvili said.

He stressed the importance of reopening dialogue and said neither side should “close the door” on the other.

“We need to talk about what steps can be taken to restore this relationship. This visit will contribute to the path towards returning Georgia-EU relations to a full framework,” he said.

The delegation is headed by Parliament Chairman Shalva Papuashvili and includes Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Nikoloz Samkharadze, European Integration Committee Chairman Levan Makhashvili and Procedural Issues Committee Chairman David Matikashvili.