The Speaker of the Swedish parliament, Andreas Norlen meets with Georgian Officials
By Inga Kakulia
Friday, August 30
The Speaker of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sweden met with the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Archil Talakvadze.
Other Deputies from the Parliament of Georgia also participated in the meeting, including the members of the United National Movement and European Georgia.
During the meeting, Norlen confirmed Sweden’s support of Georgia’s aspirations to move closer to the EU, but also mentioned challenges and areas that need more work and attention. Norlen also said it was very important for Europe's door to remain open and the EU to develop cooperation with European nations, including Georgia.
“We welcome the entry into force of the Association Agreement between Georgia and the European Union. As for visa liberalization, some problems need to be addressed. We will continue to support Georgia's ambitions to move closer to the EU step by step. We also support the strengthening of Georgia's various democratic institutions. We have contributed greatly to this effort,” said the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament.
Andreas Norlen also stated that democracy covers a variety of topics, one of which is the strengthening of democratic institutions.
“Democracy also means the protection of human rights, including the protection of the rights of women and minorities. Democracy is a free and fair election. So there are many areas in which we support and assist Georgia, including the implementation of the OSCE recommendations. As far as I know, these recommendations are made. There are many issues and we are striving to be strong partners of Georgia's democracy," stated Norlen.
Norlen and Talakvadze held a joint briefing after their official meeting. The Speaker of the Swedish Parliament highlighted the importance of minimizing political polarization in the country. Norlen said that it’s important to remember that members of the other parties were also chosen by people and that they are colleagues and not enemies.
“We are concerned about the polarization of Georgian politics and I know that my Georgian colleague (Talakvadze) has the ambition to reduce this polarization, and we support it. We welcome the changes to the Election Code. I think this is a good opportunity for dialogue between different parties, including politicians, the civil sector and other parties. I believe my colleague has this ambition too,” said the Speaker of the Swedish parliament.
On Georgia’s part, Talakvadze thanked the representatives of the Swedish Parliament for their help in developing democracy, state institutions, and civil society as well as for their cooperation on strengthening the economy and security of Georgia.
“We appreciate your support in the development of Georgia, in enhancing the well-being of our citizens and in creating a better living environment, and this cooperation has been developing at its best for years. We are pleased that relations between our countries are developing dynamically and positively - the number of visitors is increasing, the more Georgian students receive education in Swedish higher education institutions, the more Swedish companies are deciding to invest in Georgia. More investors are interested in the Georgian market. From next year, this cooperation and relations will deepen and will be on a large scale,” said Talakvadze during the briefing.
The topic of occupation was also discussed. Sweden once again confirmed their support for the sovereignty of Georgia. Mr. Norlen said that the delegation visited the EU monitoring mission and that they were greatly affected by the effects of the Russian occupation on the everyday lives of people.
Members of the opposition also commented on the meeting. Roman Gotsiridze, the member of the United Nations Movement said: “We raised the issue with the members of the Swedish parliament to support Georgia in terms of sanctions against Russia in the context of what has been happening on the occupation line.”
However, he said, the Georgian government has never called for sanctions on Russia.
"The Georgian government has never called for sanctions against Russia, unlike the case of Ukraine, If the Georgian authorities do not demand, then why would others want to punish Russia," Roman Gotsiridze said.
According to the deputy, first of all, the Georgian government should appeal to the international community to impose sanctions against Russia for its constant creeping occupation.
"If Russia is not scared, then what is the deterrent that will prevent such events. These processes will continue, and the "border" may come tomorrow to the East-West interconnection track and Russia will block the roads. The Georgian government is guilty and passive, we told Swedish lawmakers today,” said Gotsiridze.
A member of European Georgia, MP Giorgi Kandelaki told reporters that at the meeting the party raised the issue of Georgia's occupation on the EU-Russia political agenda. “When EU leaders meet with Russian leaders because the Georgian government is not working on this topic, Georgia will not be considered. The conversation is at the highest level. Especially when a cease-fire agreement on behalf of the EU is a possibility for Georgia, it is precisely for the EU to impose sanctions on it. This is not the case today, as the Georgian government is doing nothing in this regard, and we focused on that, as well as the need for Georgia's help in the context of next year's elections, so that problems during the presidential election - violence, and bribery, can be less of a concern.”
Both Sweden and Georgia highlighted the strong friendship between the two countries and expressed readiness for further cooperation. This visit serves as a confirmation of Sweden’s willingness to help and cooperate on all the areas that need outside guidance.