Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says Russian officials’ visit to Georgia must not be a problem
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova says that her country takes Georgia as a sovereign state. Photo: pinterest.
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Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova says that the visits of foreign officials must not be a problem for any sovereign state, responding to the recent turmoil over the CoE ministerial scheduled in Tbilisi for May.
She says that if it is important for a sovereign state as to which foreign officials come to the country, ‘it indicates internal problems of the state.’
Until the situation in Georgia will be dependent on which foreign official visits their country, there will be problems...Such visits must not lead to changing of governments or ministers,” Zakharova told the Komsomolskaia Pravda.
She did not say whether Russian FM Sergey Lavrov will chair the country’s delegation at the CoE event or not.
Zakharova said that “Russia takes Georgia as a sovereign country,” adding that there are political forces in Georgia who are “provocateurs”, acting based on their ‘narrow political interests.’
Russia occupies 20 per cent of Georgian territories. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Former Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Grigori Karasin said yesterday that the Russian delegation will attend the CoE ministerial in Tbilisi in May 2020, which Georgia will be hosting as the Council of Europe chair.
Karasin says that as of now he does not know the composition of the Russian delegation.
The Georgian opposition strongly opposes Russia’s participation in the ministerial, stating that the delegation from the country is very likely to involve individuals who have violated the Georgian Law on the Occupied Territories by visiting the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali without consent from official Tbilisi.
The opposition members warn that the arrival of the Russian delegation may spark a new wave of rallies in Tbilisi, similar to those in June 2019, when people took to the street to protest Russian MP’s action in the Georgian parliament building.
Former Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Gregori Karasin says that a Russian delegation will attend the CoE ministerial in Tbilisi in May 2020, which Georgia will be hosting as the Council of Europe chair.
Georgian opposition says that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the Russian delegation must not be allowed into Georgia during the Council of Europe (CoE) ministerial in Tbilisi in May 2020, which Georgia will host as the CoE chair country.
Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov, whose taking the seat of the Georgian parliamentary speaker in June 2019 sparked large protests in the Georgian capital, has called Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili’s recent statement ‘a serious signal’ for improvements in Russia-Georgia relations.
Several Georgian NGOs and the parliamentary opposition have criticised Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili for her statement made at PACE yesterday, where she said that Georgia is likely to allow a Russian delegation, including Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, into Georgia during the CoE ministerial in Tbilisi in May 2020.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has responded to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, stating that if her words that ‘Russia takes Georgia as a sovereign country’ are not empty, ‘withdraw your troops from Georgian territory.’ Zakharova earlier spoke about the upcoming CoE ministerial in Tbilisi and the recent turmoil around the possible visit of Russian officials to Georgia during the event, stating that ‘visits of foreign officials must not be a problem for any sovereign state’.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has stated during his speech in parliament today that a fair court is the basis of state development and “Georgia is on the right path” in this regard. However, the opposition played the anthem of the Soviet Union during the speech, stating that the situation in the country is ‘alarming in many fields.’
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called Georgian journalists in Geneva ‘sick’ who were trying to receive an answer from Lavrov as to whether he will come to the CoE ministerial in Tbilisi in May later this year.
Strasbourg will host the Council of Europe ministerial in May this year instead of Tbilisi, which Georgia was meant to have hosted as the CoE chair country, Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani confirmed earlier today. The location was changed due to the possible visit of Russian delegates to Tbilisi for the ministerial who have violated the Georgian law on the occupied territories.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has stated that as the head of the CoE Council of Ministers he is ‘disappointed’ Georgia missed an ‘unique opportunity’ to host delegates from 47 member states of the Council of Europe in May later this year. He said that the decision for the CoE ministerial to be held in Strasbourg instead of Tbilisi has been made ‘because of state interests,’ to avoid any possible tension in the country caused by the visit of the Russian delegation during the international occasion.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has stated that the form of protest against a well-known Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner, who arrived in Tbilisi yesterday, was ‘unacceptable and uncivilised’ and that the ‘radical United National Movement opposition party’ stood behind the process.