PM says Russian propaganda is challenge for Georgia, all of Europe

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has stated that Russian propaganda and the information war is not a challenge only for Georgia, but also for European countries.

The PM made the statement in response to the media forum ongoing in Tbilisi funded by the Russian Presidential Grant Foundation, which has been strongly criticised by the Georgian opposition and the civil sector.

We believe that Russian propaganda is a challenge. However, when it comes to the effect of propaganda and ‘soft force’ the answer from the Georgian people is clear: we have made our choice for Europe long before,” Bakhtadze said.

The PM said that he was sure that Russian propaganda will fail in Georgia, taking the Georgian people’s attitudes and the government’s course into account.

The opposition has demanded the punishment of  Russian propagandists in Georgia.

16 NGOs have released a joint statement in which they appealed to the government to have a clear strategy against the Russian hybrid war and to tightly control on sources of donation for such Russian-backed events.

The NGOs praised the government for not allowing four participants of the conference into Georgia as they had violated the country’s law on occupied territories.

• The 5-7 September media conference in Tbilisi was organised by two Russian NGOs – North-South Center and Press Club Unity, together with Tbilisi-based newspaper Georgia and the World,  owned by a Georgian businessman who is active in Russia and who has been awarded by Russian President Vladimir Putin with the order of honor.
• The South Caucasus forum with the name “the Role of Media in Confidence-Building in the Region,” provides seminars and roundtable discussions about political  and media issues in the region.