Parliament Speaker Papuashvili Visits the UK, Meets Officials
By Khatia Bzhalava
Friday, February 11, 2022
Within the framework of the visit to the United Kingdom, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has met with the Speaker of the UK House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and discussed the cooperation between the countries in various directions as well as security challenges in Ukraine.
Sir Hoyle described the meeting as ‘important’, pointing out that the sides overviewed the issues in common, including threats and the ways to help each other.
“I used this window of opportunity to openly and sincerely express my position about the current situation in Europe,” said Sir Hoyle.
Papuashvili announced after the meeting that the UK remains a firm supporter of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, noting that the two countries are committed to shared values for democracy and peace.
Papuashvili also met with the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the British House of Commons, Tom Tugendhat to discuss the foreign-political priorities of Georgia. As Papuashvili noted, Georgia has achieved great progress on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration, stressing that now it is important to make a political decision on Georgia’s membership. He underlined the destructive actions of Russia in Georgia and the wider region and expressed hope that the United Kingdom would keep the international support of consolidation with Georgia-related issues.
As part of the visit, Speaker Papuashvili also met with the representatives of the British Research Center - The Royal United Services Institute. At the meeting, he focused on gross human rights violations that are taking place in the occupied territories of Georgia, such as kidnappings and illegal deprivation of liberty as well as the prohibition of receiving education in the mother tongue.
Also, Georgian Speaker discussed the UK’s involvement in developing Georgia’s capacities and national strategy in cybersecurity with the Chair of the House of Commons Defense Committee, Tobias Ellwood, and other members.
Papuashvili will also meet with Chris Heaton-Harris, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, Richard Burge, Head of the London Chamber of Commerce, and Anthony Smith, Chief Executive of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
Papuashvili is accompanied by Chair and Vice-Chair of Foreign Relations Committee Nikoloz Samkharadze and Giorgi Khelashvili, as well as the Chair of Agrarian Issues Committee Nino Tsilosani, and MP Teona Akubardia of opposition Strategy Aghmashenebeli.
