On September 20, Sven Mikser, the rapporteur on Georgia, and Marina Kaljurand, the Chair of the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee, met with representatives from the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition.
Separate talks between the MEPs and Irakli Kobakhidze and Shalva Papuashvili, the leaders of the ruling party, were held. Both meetings were attended by Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Parliament.
According to the Press Office of the Georgian Parliament, the Parliamentary Chairperson spoke on Georgia's progress toward implementing the proposals of the European Commission while focusing on the active bilateral cooperation agenda between Georgia and the EU. There were also discussions about the reforms being carried out in accordance with the Association Agreement and the relationship between the European Parliament and the Georgian Parliament. The Georgian Parliament said that the MEPs and Georgian Dream chairman Irakli Kobakhidze discussed the implementation of the European Commission's proposals and the nation's present political climate.
"We discussed the implementation of 12 requirements. We clarified that we had extended an invitation to all parliamentary political parties to participate in the process. They have comprehensive knowledge of the procedure," Kobakhidze remarked following the meeting.
According to the Georgian Parliament, the opposition's participation in the process of carrying out the proposals of the European Commission was the main topic of discussion at a meeting with opposition lawmakers.
MP Khatia Dekanoidze, the leader of the United National Movement faction, stated: "Even though Georgia is not a democracy and she and her colleagues are placed under covert surveillance, we are still represented in Parliament and are doing our utmost for Georgia's European integration."
According to Lelo party MP Salome Samadashvili, Western partners are aware that the opposition would be in favor of any actions connected to the fulfillment of the EU requirements. She also said that the state of the media was covered.
According to Giorgi Vashadze of Strategy Agmashenebeli: "Everyone is aware that the government bears the whole burden of duty. They are independent. They do not converse with anyone. They abstained from the extraordinary session of Parliament. They boycotted and evicted the representatives of the civil society sector who were fair."
Republican Party member Khatuna Samnidze reported that the conference covered various topics, including judicial reforms, minority rights, an investigation into the events of July 5–6, and media freedom. She said: "The only conclusion is that the country is not making any progress on these issues."
