The Head of the Parliamentary Delegation to OSCE PA, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Nikoloz Samkharadze participated in the Debates of the OSCE Political and Security Committee.

In his speech, he highlighted the security milieu in the Black Sea region and the threats posed by Russia. “Russia strives to convert the Black Sea into the domestic waters guaranteeing thus full discrepancy to it, which, in itself, will reduce the transit projects and economic cooperation prospects, while increasing the access of Russia to the key energy and transit-infrastructural corridors in the region; it naturally will pose a threat to the European security and stability”, - he stated.

He stressed the importance of the engagement of the international partners in ensuring the Black Sea security and stated that the partners in Europe and the USA shall intensify their representation in the region and take crucial steps to resist the occupation of Russia in the Black Sea region, Georgia and Ukraine.

“The vital question to be answered today is how we can collaborate with our American and European partners to restrain the Russian expansionism and the related threats to ensure the stability and security in the strategically important Black Sea region. I believe that the integration of Georgia and Ukraine to NATO will serve as the best instrument for restraint of the Russian expansionism”, - he stated.