The Opposition MPs of the Parliament of Georgia disassociate from and strongly condemn the anti-Western campaign launched by the ruling party and a number of MPs, which in recent days has been particularly actively directed at the US Ambassador to Georgia - H.E. Kelly Degnan, and fellow MEPs of Georgia.
After the Council of Europe demanded that Georgia implement systemic reforms in order to qualify as a candidate for the European Union and the European Parliament placed the issue of imposing sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili on the political agenda (in the form of a resolution of the European Parliament), anti-Western rhetoric increased significantly.
As a result, we saw the dual nature of the "Georgian Dream", which on the one hand acknowledges the will of the population to become a member of the European Union, declares that the country's western course is unchanged, but at the same time does not recognize the actual reasons for the refusal to get the candidate status - democratic backsliding and lack of reforms; In order to cover up the real reasons, the ruling party actively follows disinformation - the government explains the failure to get candidate status by not getting involved in the war, which is a lie and Russian propaganda, and openly attacks our Western partners. This falsehood is directed at those people who are less informed about the current thinking in Western political and expert circles, which actively support bolstering and defending Georgia's peace and security against Russia and do not call for Georgia to join the conflict.
Disinformation tactics by the ruling party and the so-called apostate MPs pose a threat to Georgia's key allies, our partners, and their support for Georgia. Furthermore, not only does this go against what the Georgian Constitution declared to be the country's foreign policy and the will of the majority of Georgians, who favor European integration, but it also raises the possibility that Georgia will become isolated internationally; By taking such measures, the ruling party deprives the population of the chance to live in a nation modeled after Europe, where each citizen's rights, well-being, and security are guaranteed. At the same time, the ruling party directs a severe blow to our nation's security because Georgia will be left alone in the face of occupying Russia if it remains in international isolation and lacks allies.
We would like to be clear that in 1992, the United States of America gave Georgia a crucially significant hand in friendship since the beginning of Russia's ongoing campaign against Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Since independence, this support has included numerous prosperous sector projects and financial resources amounting to up to 5 billion USD. US aid is based on common values and its goal is to make Georgia a stable, strong, and free country.
The anti-Western forces, therefore, make vain attempts to portray Western suggestions as the same kind of occurrence as signals emanating from Moscow. The war in Georgia in August 2008 and the current war in Ukraine both served as examples of how the savage military power, the devastation of cities, and the deaths of people are concealed under the latter.
We insist on the ruling party to put an end to its misinformation and anti-Western propaganda, get to work, and start making the reforms required to qualify for candidate status. Last week, we called an extraordinary session of Parliament to address this issue. Both professionals and members of civil society strongly support this proposal. The President of Georgia agreed with the idea and summoned the Parliament for an extraordinary session beginning on July 18. Our campaign aims to have the Parliament act right now, showing the political will and a genuine desire to find a solution to the 12 points.
We also urge all citizens, non-governmental organizations, and pro-Western political parties to work together to defend the decisions our ancestors made centuries ago, the potential of implementation of which is now more likely than ever.