Ex-PM Gakharia meets MEPs in Brussels as opposition party chair
Calling Marina Kaljurand 'the true friend of Georgia' Giorgi Gakharia said his meeting with teh leading MEP was fruitful. Photo: For Georgia party's press office
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Former Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia, who now chairs political party For Georgia, is holding meetings with European Parliament members in Brussels.
It was a great pleasure to meet with @SvenMikser. We addressed the different topics on Georgia, including the plans and goals of #ForGeorgia for the next local self-government elections.
— Giorgi Gakharia (@GakhariaGiorgi) June 16, 2021
During his meetings with MEPs Giorgi Gakharia has spoken about EU-Georgia relations, the country’s aspirations for EU membership as well as the current political situation in Georgia ahead of the upcoming local self-government elections.
MEP Marina Kaljurand has tweeted following the meeting with Giorgi Gakharia:
Always good to hear first hand from different parties about political situation and aspirations in ????????. Thank you @GakhariaGiorgi for today's meeting. #ForGeorgia https://t.co/WVYjkTIqy3
— Marina Kaljurand MEP (@MarinaKaljurand) June 16, 2021
Gakharia and his political council member Kakhaber Kemoklidze left for Brussels yesterday to hold high level meetings in the EU and NATO.
We had a productive meeting with Mr. Michael Siebert, Managing Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation, and the OSCE of the EEAS. We discussed the security challenges facing Georgia, the political processes, and the plans of #ForGeorgia. pic.twitter.com/DD9qwJ5CHW
— Giorgi Gakharia (@GakhariaGiorgi) June 16, 2021
Giorgi Gakharia, who became PM in September 2019, shortly after the June protests in Tbilisi sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament, resigned on February 18, 2021 saying that the step is connected with the arrest of UNM chair Nika Melia.
The ruling Georgian Dream party accuses Gakharia of planning an alleged coup in February together with UNM.
Speaking about Gakharia's new political party the ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili also says the creation of satellite, pseudo-opposition parties was a common practice under the UNM government.
Denying the ruling party's allegations on alleged coup attempt, Gakharia's For Georgia party has addressed the Chief Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the claims against the ex-PM.
The founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili, who left Georgian politics for the second time back in January 2021, has responded to media reports that the new political party founded by ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia is affiliated with him. Ivanishvili stated that the reports are ‘fake’ and are ‘attempts’ to again connect his name with political issues.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has accused former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and the opposition United National Movement party of planning an alleged coup back in February. The ruling party chair Irakli Kobakhidze told Rustavi 2 media outlet on Friday that then-PM Gakharia had been requesting to postpone the detention of UNM chair Nika Melia for a couple of days after the court ruling for ‘groundless reasons’.
Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who now chairs the For Georgia political union, said at the party’s launch presentation earlier today that ‘we unite for Georgia, but not against anybody’. Stating that his team will be actively involved in political processes, Gakharia said Georgia now needs a political party which can ‘look the truth in the eyes’ and speak up about the challenges the country is facing nowadays, instead of living in illusions.
Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced the formation of the For Georgia political union. Gakharia, who has the party presentation later today, made the announcement on his Facebook page on May 28.