Ruling party: investigation must establish whether UNM was responsible for forfeit of Georgian lands

The Executive Secretary of the Georgian Dream ruling party Irakli Kobakhidze says that the investigation must reveal whether the previous United National Movement was involved in the concession of 3,500 ha of land to Azerbaijan under the party’s leadership, including the territories of Georgia’s 6th century David Gareji monastery complex. 

• 2 detained for hiding evidence in Georgia-Azerbaijani border case leading to forfeit of 3,500 ha of land

Now this is only a suspicion,” said Kobakhidze, commenting on the ongoing investigation into the Georgia-Azerbaijan border case. 

Kobakhidze said that the UNM had many times made anti-Georgian decisions ‘which were in the interests of Russia.’ 

The UNM’s guilt in the David Gareji case still needs to be established. However, there are many other cases where the previous government made anti-Georgian decisions. One of such cases is the restoration of borders of the Autonomous Tskhinvali region back in 2006 and currently the borders are used by the occupation forces for making illegal barriers,” Kobakhidze said.

Kobakhidze stated that it is also up to the investigation to reveal whether Saakashvili really received 70-80 million USD for the concession of Georgian lands. 

Situation have become tense several times in David Gareji last year. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

It was Saakashhvili who mentioned the money and the investigation will also reveal this,” Kobakhidze said. 

The third President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili said that ‘Russia stands behind the investigation’ and that some ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Moscow may one day say that Saakashvili took 70-80 million USD in exchange for David Gareji. 

Kobakhidze also criticised Georgia’s Ambassador to Denmark Gigi Gigiadze who expressed support for one of the detainees in the border case, describing him as ‘as the best professional and a patriot of the country.’ 

Gigiadze severely violated diplomatic standards through making the statement, without going into details of the case and communication with Foreign Ministry,” Kobakhidze said. 

Georgian FM said that Giigiadze's Facebook post was a surprise for him. 

The opposition says that through the investigation on the border issue the current government targets former UNM leaders, including Saakashvili.

• Protest rally held in support of detainees in Georgia-Azerbaijani border case

They also say that the detention of experts yesterday is also related to the upcoming, October 31 parliamentary elections. 

• The ruling party and the PM have urged opposition politicians to refrain from politicising the case as it may harm the state interests. 

Georgian PM: investigation into Azerbaijan-Georgia border case will never affect strategic partnership

Georgian FM David Zalkaliani says that the government will try to review the  preliminary agreements on the border with Azerbaijan made in 2006-2007 with the help of the recently surfaced maps.