PM’s Qatar Economic Forum comments on Gov’t stance on Russia-Ukraine conflict “sincere, rational” - Vice Parliament Speaker

Gia Volksi, the Vice Parliament Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday said Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s comments at the ongoing Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on his Government's stance over the Russia-Ukraine war and subsequent developments were “sincere” and “rational”. 

In his remarks at a panel discussion of the Forum on Wednesday, Garibashvili called the Russia-Ukraine conflict the “biggest challenge” for European security since WWII that “affects all of us”, before adding he could not predict how and when the conflict may end. 

The PM also claimed he could not see “enough efforts from the international community to take proper measures to encourage consultations and peace talks” to facilitate an end to the hostilities that erupted in February 2022. 

In his comments, Volski said Ukraine was in need of “much more assistance” from the international community to resist the Russian aggression, and claimed the PM had highlighted the country’s needs in his remarks, in response to critical comments by domestic opposition leaders that Garibashvili had voiced “pro-Kremlin messages” at the event. 

Voski said Garibashvili had presented “pragmatic” opinions at the event instead of engaging in “political flattery characteristic to some politicians”, adding it was difficult to predict how the conflict may end and pointing to the Kremlin’s resources and its possession of nuclear weapons. 

The PM spoke about these topics, and [the domestic opposition] misinterpreting and twisting this sincere talk is a very bad and unworthy attempt”, Volski added. 

The Parliamentary official also commented on Garibashvili’s claims at the session that some Ukrainian officials wished or expected Georgia’s engagement in the conflict.

The PM said exactly what we are facing”, Volski said and noted Kyiv's move in March 2022 to recall its Ambassador from Georgia in response to the Government's refusal to allow a charter flight with volunteers heading to become involved in armed action in the war to take off from Tbilisi Airport. 

He also noted a “number of statements” had been made by Ukrainian officials on Georgia’s involvement in the conflict or “forceful reintegration” of the occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.