Swedish minister predicts a “new Tymosenko” in Georgia

Carl Bildt, Swedish Foreign Minister talks about "Politics of Revenge" in Georgia
Agenda.ge, 06 Nov 2013 - 00:00, Tbilisi,Georgia

Swedish Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt says if Georgia startsa criminal case against outgoing President Mikheil Saakashvili, the latter might become a "new Tymoshenko". Yulia Tymoshenko, former Prime Minister of Ukraine, was jailed in 2011 for seven years for abuse of office, but some European officials say her conviction smacks of selective justice.

"I think that it might even be worse in that particular case and we have said it very clearly to Mr. Ivanishvili that if he goes forward with those things, then Georgian foreign policy will be reduced to one issue for the next few years to come, to the detriment of the development of the country, Bildt said in his interview with Radio Liberty.

The longtime international diplomat and former Swedish Prime Minister also recalled his meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili on October 23 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

"When we were there some 10 days ago at the press conference we had together -- [Polish Foreign Minister] Radek [Sikorski], Ivanishvili, and myself -- he said some wise things, as a matter of fact, following our talks. Whether that will be policy, remains to be seen. I have seen that since then, he has said some things that could be interpreted in the other direction, Carl Bildt said.

Before the October 27 presidential election, Georgian PM Ivanishvili said, in his  interview with Reuters, he would not try to jail President Saakashvili when he steps down after the election. He declared the same thought after the meeting with the EU ministers too.

"Less revenge and aggression and more forgiveness and reconciliation," Ivanishvili said.