German ambassador to Georgia surprised by critical comments against him
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German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch, who was one of the facilitators in the ruling Georgian Dream party and the united opposition’s election talks, says that he is surprised by critical comments made against him which came after his statement regarding the imprisoned co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua and the election agreement.
Knirsch said last week that Rurua, whose release is being demanded by the opposition, was not mentioned in the March 8 election agreement, which angered several opposition leaders and heads of certain media outlets.
Knirsch welcomed the adoption of constitutional changes yesterday per the March 8 election agreement and expressed hope that Georgia will overcome the practice when ‘strange and rough’ terminology and gestures are used during political discussions.
I am surprised by the comments made against me by the people who have never met me or know something about me. I believe that this is part of a political process and through further development of democracy Georgia will overcome the challenge,” said the ambassador after his meeting with Georgian health minister late yesterday.
- FM Zalkaliani: Germany is Georgia’s friend, supporter
- Ruling party says ‘radical opposition’ chooses ‘anti-western’ statements, campaign
Opposition leader Shalva Natelashvili accused the ambassador of ‘being bribed by the ruling party head Bidzina Ivanishvili,’ while the United National Movement MP Salome Samadashvili said that the ambassador ‘has made several diplomatic mistakes.’
The ruling Georgian Dream party and the united opposition have reached an agreement on holding the upcoming parliamentary elections this October with 120 seats in the legislative body to be distributed via a proportional vote and the remaining 30 via the majoritarian system.
The Delegation of the European Union to Georgia has issued a statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in which it 'condemns the attacks of certain political actors and media outlets' against the Ambassador of Germany Hubert Knirsch.
Foreign ambassadors who facilitated the election talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition, resulting in the March 8 election agreement, have welcomed the adoption of the election bill in its third and final reading earlier today.
The co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua is not mentioned in the 8 March agreement, says German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch expressing surprise that this is a subject of discussion between the political parties.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has called on ‘all political parties, international organisations and NGOs’ to express their views on the anti-western attitudes and actions’ of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party.
State Secretary of the German Federal Foreign Office Miguel Berger has said that the German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch has the ‘full support’ of the country’s foreign office amid the German media outlet Bild’s claims that Knirsch is ‘conspicuously friendly’ with the Georgian government.
German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch responded to German media outlet Bild's article calling him 'remarkably pro-government,' saying that 'everyone is free' to form and express an opinion on his work.
Bild published the article Serious suspicions against the German ambassador yesterday, claiming that Knirsch seems to get along with the Georgian government but has a 'rather hostile' relationship with the Georgian opposition and civil society organisations.