Ruling party MP: Ukrainian lawmaker’s claim on lack of Georgian support “immoral”
He added Honcharenko represented the forces that did not like the “economic growth and success that Georgia is achieving”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Davit Matikashvili, an MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday rejected a comment by Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko on an alleged lack of support from the Georgian Government for the country in its defence from the Russian invasion as “immoral”.
The response followed remarks by Honcharenko, who earlier during the day said Ukraine was “grateful for the support of the Georgian people, but is very dissatisfied with the fact that the Georgian Government has not helped Ukraine at all” in the ongoing conflict.
In his comments, the Georgian MP accused his counterpart of the intention of “sparking fire in Georgia and opening a second front” of the war. Matikashvili also said the Ukrainian legislator was “either missing the reality or his statements serve to discredit Georgia”.
Russian armed forces are stationed 50 kilometres from Tbilisi [and] 20 percent of the country has been occupied by Russia. [...] To say Georgia is not helping Ukraine is a bit immoral. This serves the purpose of seeing the second front opened [in the country]”, he said.
Matikashvili also accused the Ukrainian counterpart of being a part of the “war party” - an allegation used by Georgian Government officials in reference to domestic and foreign political forces they have accused of attempts of involving Georgia in the conflict.
He added Honcharenko represented the forces that did not like the “economic growth and success that Georgia is achieving”.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday said the Georgian Government had stated “very clearly” and “from the beginning” its position on support for Ukraine “in everything” except transfer of weapons to the country amid its defence from the ongoing Russian invasion.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has been “catastrophic” for the entire [Black Sea] region and also affecting Georgia. The war has indicated the need for countries to diversify their economies, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Thursday in his address at a panel discussion Eurasia's Middle Corridor: From Pathway to Highway within the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the Georgian Government was acting for the “sole purpose” of “protecting and pursuing the national interests” of the country.
Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister Thea Tsulukiani on Saturday told the media the Georgian Government would not allow the country to be involved in the military confrontation.
David Matikashvili, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the country “deserves” the European Union membership candidate status both for its citizens’ “historic choice” of European integration and the progress in the process over the years.