Speaker Papuashvili to German ambassador: Georgia won’t follow Ukraine or Moldova on EU path

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has criticised German Ambassador Peter Fischer, saying Georgia will not follow the European integration paths chosen by Ukraine and Moldova.

Papuashvili’s remarks came after Fischer said Georgia had separated itself from the common route towards the European Union shared by Ukraine and Moldova.

In a social media post on Thursday, the parliament speaker argued that Ukraine’s path towards EU membership had come at the cost of territorial losses, while Moldova’s course risked undermining its statehood through closer integration with another country.

“Someone should explain to this person that Georgia does not intend to follow either the path chosen by Ukraine or the one chosen by Moldova towards the European Union,” Papuashvili wrote.

He also claimed Georgia had faced pressure in 2022 to adopt a similar course and accused unnamed external actors of encouraging the country to treat its territories as a burden and independence as an obstacle to EU integration.