Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili sharply criticised the European Parliament for holding the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly session in the South Caucasus without the participation of Georgia and Azerbaijan, calling the event a “farce.” He argued that the exclusion of two regional countries reflects improper conduct by the European Parliament and undermines Euronest’s purpose as a platform for dialogue between the EU and Eastern Partnership nations.

Papuashvili also accused Euronest organisers of inviting members of opposition parties — including the United National Movement, Lelo, European Georgia, and Droa — as “NGO representatives,” describing this as deceptive. He singled out MEP Rasa Juknevičienė, accusing her of bias and maintaining a “hostile attitude toward the Georgian people.”

According to Papuashvili, such actions demonstrate the presence of “post-Soviet and post-communist influences” within the European Parliament and an attempt to impose political preferences on the region. He confirmed that Georgia would not legitimise the event by participating.

Earlier, the Chairman of Parliament’s European Integration Committee, Levan Makashvili, explained in an open letter that Georgia’s delegation abstained from attending the 12th Euronest plenary session in Yerevan, citing concerns that recent Assembly decisions contradict its founding principles and the Prague Summit’s Eastern Partnership Declaration.