Defence Minister laments “mistake” of Ukrainian Ambassador’s recall, calls for forgetting “upsets” between countries
The Minister also claimed Georgia was the leading country worldwide in the supply of humanitarian aid to Ukraine amid the war, and pointed out the Georgian Government had joined “all the critical sanctions” against Russia’s invasion. Photo: Georgian Defence Ministry/Archive
Tweet 
Share
The recall of the Ukrainian Ambassador from Georgia in March was a “mistake” and the two states should put the past “upsets” behind them, Juansher Burchuladze, the Georgian Defence Minister, said on Monday.
In comments following a Ukraine visit of solidarity by a Georgian Parliamentary delegation this month, after the controversy over the Ambassador’s recall in March, Burchuladze stressed Georgia’s humanitarian support to Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, and added there was “no alternative” to friendly relations between Georgia and Ukraine.
It is the values, the relationship that our people have had with the Ukrainian brothers for centuries, that must be appreciated by both sides. We are doing our best to show the Ukrainian authorities and the Ukrainian society that we stand by them,” Burchuladze said.
The Minister also claimed Georgia was the leading country worldwide in the supply of humanitarian aid to Ukraine amid the war, and pointed out the Georgian Government had joined “all the critical sanctions” against Russia’s invasion.
He also commented on his Government’s decision not to approve sanctions on Russia that would have “no effect on the aggressor”, pointing out imposing such measures would not be “sensible” while causing damage to economic conditions of the Georgian population through its dependence on trade with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy first recalled Ambassador Igor Dolgov “for consultations” on March 1, before signing decrees on March 31 for recalling diplomats from Georgia and Morocco, citing their failure to obtain imposition of sanctions of Russia or supply of weapons to Ukraine.
NATO’s “enhanced involvement” in the Black Sea region amid growing security challenges, and reforms being undertaken in Georgia's defence sector were on the agenda as Georgian defence minister Juansher Burchuladze met NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels earlier today.
In light of the Russian occupation of Georgian regions and its ongoing invasion of Ukraine it is “very important” to increase Georgia's defence capabilities, Juansher Burchuladze, the Georgian Defence Minister, said on Thursday in an interview with Imedi TV channel.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, along with the parliamentary delegation of Georgia, met with Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Chair Ruslan Stefanchuk and denounced Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine on an official visit to the country on Saturday.
Georgia ranked first among 191 countries in its supply of 400 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine as of April 1, the Georgian Economy Ministry said on Monday, citing the data of the national post of Ukraine.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, on Tuesday claimed the existence of a “disinformation campaign” being carried out “against Georgia” with the aim of “causing unrest and involving the country in a war” following a release of an unconfirmed audio recording of an alleged call between Russian businessman Vladimer Evtushenkov and former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The fact that Georgia maintains trade relations with Russia amid the latter's invasion of Ukraine is" neither illegal nor immoral", particularly when Ukraine itself maintains trade with Russia, Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Tuesday.
Comments by Ukrainian Presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych confirm that if the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili were in power in Georgia, the country would be embroiled in a war, Thea Tsulukiani, the Georgian Vice Prime Minister and Culture Minister, said on Tuesday.
Certain sources are releasing “falsified conversations” in order to cause “mislead the public” and achieve a starting of a war in Georgia, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Wednesday in response to a release of an alleged recording of a call between Russian businessman Vladimer Evtushenkov and former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili this week.