FM Zalkaliani on cyber attack: ‘Georgia won’t hold back from naming origin, perpetrators of this action’

As a result of the foreign cyber attack which took place on September 1, documents from the country’s Lugar Lab were stolen. Photo: Foreign Ministry press office.

Agenda.ge, 04 Sep 2020 - 15:09, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia will not hold back from naming the perpetrators of the cyber attack on the computer system of the Georgian Ministry of Health was cyber-attacked, Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani stated earlier today.

As a result of the foreign cyber attack which took place on September 1, documents from the country’s Lugar Lab were stolen.

Zalkaliani said that the Georgian government together with its international partners will do everything to identify the perpetrators. 

The illegal action taken against the Lugar Lab is categorically unacceptable. This is part of a disinformation campaign which has been carried out even during the pandemic against an institution which is critically important and valuable for Georgia…”, Zalkaliani said.

The information stolen pertained to the country’s management of the coronavirus pandemic.

Part of the authentic documentation obtained as a result of illegal access into the computer system has been uploaded on a foreign website and is available to the public. However, the website has also uploaded obviously falsified documents, which are deliberately falsified in order to intimidate and confuse the public,” said the Ministry of Internal Affairs yesterday.

Lugar Lab is a permanent target of disinformation and fake news spread by Russia.

Russia demands access to US-built, Tbilisi Lugar Centre after being invited many times

The Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Yuri Shvytkin told RIA Novosti yesterday that Georgia may be involved in the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Nvalny by Novichok. He also said that toxic substances from the Novichok group are manufactured in the Lugar Lab in Georgia and in the USA, not in Russia.

Russia has claimed on several occasions that the US is funding ‘dangerous experiments’ in the Lugar Laboratory.

Georgia has denied the Russian accusations and expressed willingness to receive Russian experts in the centre, noting that the centre has nothing to hide.

The Lugar Lab, officially called the Centre for Public Health Research, is located in Tbilisi and named after former American Senator Ruchard Lugar.

The construction of the centre was launched in 2004 based on agreements signed between Georgia and the US. The centre is part of Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), under the Georgian Health Ministry.