President Zurabishvili: coalition gov’t necessary for Georgia, but hard to say how it may work
Salome Zurabishvili became the first female president of Georgia back in 2018 with the support of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Photo: president’s press office.
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Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili says that the composition of the Georgian government by the majority only over the past nine years has shown that a coalition government ‘is necessary for Georgia,’ Zurabishvili has told Le Journal du Dimanche during her recent trip to France.
However, Zurabishvili says that it is hard to forecast how the coalition government may work, because political parties in Georgia ‘are hostile to one another and the political situation is very much polarised.’
In the interview Zurabishvili says that the October 2 municipal elections will show whether the political crisis which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections is finally resolved or not.
« La seule perspective de développement de la Géorgie, c’est l’Europe. »
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) September 27, 2021
Mon entrevue sur le Journal du dimanche pic.twitter.com/COEkSpsNaS
Speaking about Georgia’s foreign course, Zurabishvili says that Georgia ‘is no longer the backyard of Russia’ and that the country is striving for membership in the EU and NATO.
The only prospect for Georgia’s development is Europe. The form and the date of Georgia’s EU integration is dependent on the steps Georgia will take and the country’s evolution,” Zurabishvili says.
Zurabishvili stated that Georgia’s NATO integration ‘seems a simpler’ goal rather than EU membership, because Georgia has participated in NATO peace missions, is involved in joint exercises and the compliance of the Georgian army with NATO standards is high.
She says that communication with Russia that Georgia’s NATO membership poses no threat to it, is still required.
Zurabishvili has described current Russia-Georgia diplomatic relations as ‘frozen.’
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has awarded Georgian fashion designer and creative director of the iconic fashion house Balenciaga Demna Gvasalia with the Medal of Honour for his contribution to the popularisation of Georgia abroad. Demna Gvasalia who is from Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region was awarded the medal today when Georgia marks 28 years of losing control over its territory and the fall of Sokhumi.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has visited France to take part in events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the recognition of the Democratic Republic of Georgia by France in Paris. Zurabishvili participated in a ceremony dedicated to the memory of Georgian Vice-Colonel Dimitri Amilakhvari on September 26 and posthumously awarded him the Order of National Hero. She presented the state award to the descendants of Amilakhvari.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has stated it is unclear for her and the public why the Georgian Dream government has refused to take the second tranche of the EU’s 150 million euro loan which should have been addressed to decrease 'the social and human damage that COVID has done to our population'.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has met with her French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris today. During their meeting the two presidents pledged to deepen the political and economic ties between their countries, as well as the role of the European Union in the Black Sea region.
Our primary goal is to ensure safe environment for free and fair elections, which are essential for Georgia and its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has tweeted.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says that ‘there are no expectations’ that President Salome Zurabishvili may pardon ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili who pledges to return to Georgia from Ukraine on the evening of the October 2 municipal election day.
The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party held a media briefing earlier today in which they said that the Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili has ‘really returned’ ahead of tomorrow’s municipal elections. UNM representative Eka Kherkheulidze said that she doesn't know how Saakashvili managed to return. However, she added that the ‘country’s intelligence service is even unable to prevent the entry of Russian spies.’