Ruling party MP: Opposition’s “great efforts” to involve Georgia’s intl partners against country’s EU integration “regrettable”

Maka Botchorishvili, the Head of the European Integration Committee in the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday said it was “regrettable” to see domestic opposition and imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili “putting forth such great efforts” against the country’s European integration and trying to involve Georgia’s international partners in this process.

Botchorishvili was responding to the European Commissioner for Budget and Administration Johannes Hahn’s statement, which he made earlier today during the debate in the European Parliament and said Hahn, along with the EU representatives in Georgia, had made a “formal démarche” to Justice Minister Rati Bregadze at the meeting on December 28 and expressed concern about Saakashvili’s health. Hahn added the Georgian Government had to take “all necessary” measures to “protect” the former President’s health.

The Ambassadors’ interest regarding Saakashvili’s health is “not surprising”, the Georgian Committee Chair said, adding she was “sure” they had received all answers from the Justice Minister to their questions.