Parliament Speaker: Georgia to fulfil “human and historical duty” in supporting Ukraine despite “unfair and unfounded” allegations
Papuashvili underlined the Georgian Government was using all international platforms for giving legal and political assessment of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Supporting Ukraine is a human and historical duty of the Georgian Government and the latter is intent on fulfilling it despite the “unfair and unfounded allegations” heard from Ukrainian authorities, Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, said on Friday.
Papuashvili was commenting on an invitation of the Ukrainian authorities for him to visit the city of Bucha to observe the facts of the atrocities committed by Russian troops before they withdrew from the location.
The Georgian official declined the visit by saying it would be “inappropriate” on the backdrop of what he called “demands [by Ukrainian officials] for opening a second front [against Russia] in Georgia”, “diplomatic demonstrations” by Ukrainian representatives, and “baseless accusations” of products being sanctioned through Georgian territory by Russia to avoid sanctions.
Papuashvili underlined the Georgian Government was using all international platforms for giving legal and political assessment of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
I would like the representatives of the Ukrainian Government to fully understand a strong support that the Georgian people and the Government show for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” the Parliament official said.
This support and the partnership do not really deserve the attempts by high-ranking officials of the Ukrainian Government to separate the Georgian people and its Government, demand the opening of a second front in Georgia, make unfounded diplomatic demonstrations and baseless accusations of smuggling,” Papuashvili added.
The Parliament Speaker noted these issues made the official invitation to visit Bucha “not expedient”.
We have said many times and I will repeat it again: the support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people is our human and historical duty, and we will fulfil this duty, no matter how unfair and unfounded the allegations we hear in response may be,” Papuashvili concluded in reference to recent statements by some Ukrainian officials.
Earlier on Friday, the Ukrainian Embassy in Georgia said Papuashvili had received the invitation to visit the city of Bucha and observe the scenes of the war crimes.
The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili has yet to receive the invitation of his Ukrainian counterpart to visit the city of Bucha where invading Russian forces have been reported to have committed atrocities, the Press Service of the Parliament of Georgia said on Friday.
Georgia will “never allow” any sanctioned cargo to be transported through its territory, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Friday, following accusations of Ukrainian authorities on Russia smuggling products using Georgian territory to evade sanctioned imposed on it for its invasion of Ukraine.
Georgia, along with 92 other countries, has supported the suspension of Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday.
Russia’s suspension from the human rights body was decided at the UN General Assembly over reports of “gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights” by Russian military forces in Ukraine.
Georgia has aligned with the European Union declaration condemning the atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces in a number of Ukrainian towns, including Bucha.
The declaration states that the Russian authorities are responsible for the committed atrocities and are subject to the international law of occupation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia strongly condemned on Friday the missile strike on a railway station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk that killed 50 people.
There will be no “second front” opened in Georgia amid the war in Ukraine, and the Government will “continue to protect” its citizens, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Monday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Saturday Georgia had a “responsible” Government, and there would be "no more war" in the country.
Garibashvili’s remarks came after the opposition United National Movement members, along with former president Giorgi Margvelashvili, visited Ukraine before the Georgian parliamentary delegation arrived in Kyiv.
The Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said the demand of the domestic opposition for formation of a technical Government was “nothing but a desire to seize power by bypassing democratic procedures”.