Peace and Democracy: Papuashvili on Georgia's Main Priorities at Geneva Conference

Strong democratic institutions play a key role in ensuring stability, and the Georgian authorities have already taken significant steps in this direction, said Shalva Papuashvili, Chairman of the Georgian Parliament.

The head of the Georgian legislative body said this while speaking at a panel discussion within the framework of the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (IPU) in Geneva. As Papuashvili noted, despite the difficult geopolitical situation, Georgia has consciously chosen the path of peace, reforms and democratic development. He emphasized that the country is located in an unstable region, where efforts to maintain peace are especially important.

"We believe that strong democratic institutions are an important means of protection against instability, and we have already taken many steps in this direction. Unfortunately, modern threats to achieving peace include not only wars and conflicts, but also serious challenges related to disrespect for the sovereignty of peoples and interference in the internal affairs of countries," Papuashvili said.

As the head of the Georgian parliament noted, the country has already seen the negative consequences of non-transparent foreign financing, which, according to him, "was used to promote foreign interests, destabilize the situation and support violent actions with the aim of changing the legitimately elected government."

"Only democratic peace can be long-term. It must be based on transparency, accountability and justice," Papuashvili said.

According to him, peace is based not only on the absence of military conflicts, but also on respect for the sovereignty of peoples, their national interests, culture and traditions.

"It is paradoxical that such traditional values as sovereignty, independence and democracy have become the greatest innovation today," Papuashvili said.

The head of the parliament once again confirmed the readiness of the Georgian authorities to cooperate with all partners on initiatives that contribute to building a future based on peace, sovereignty and democratic values.

The sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament is taking place in Geneva on July 29-31. The event is attended by the Georgian delegation led by the Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili.

The World Conference of Speakers of Parliament is the largest global gathering organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union in cooperation with the UN. The conference is held once every few years and brings together speakers of parliaments from around the world to discuss key global challenges and the role of parliaments in addressing them.

The main theme of the conference is "A World in Turmoil: Parliamentary Cooperation and Multilateralism for Peace, Justice and Prosperity for All." More than 100 speakers of parliaments from around the world are participating in the event. The sessions discuss issues of global security, sustainable development, digital transformation and the empowerment of women and youth. The conference ends with the adoption of a final declaration.

Reprinted from https://sputnik-georgia.ru/