Opposition MP calls on Ukrainian authorities to replace envoy following comment on evacuating citizens from Georgia

Elisashvili urged Ukraine’s state authorities to “appoint an Ambassador who will not do harm” to bilateral relations between the two countries in place of Kasianov. Photo: Parliament of Georgia

Agenda.ge, 25 Jan 2023 - 18:23, Tbilisi,Georgia

Citizens opposition party MP Aleko Elisashvili on Wednesday called on the Ukrainian Government to replace Andrii Kasianov, the country’s Charge D'affaires in Georgia, following an interview in which the diplomat said his office could facilitate evacuation of Ukrainian nationals from Georgia in case of “threats” from a “mass influx” of Russian citizens in the country.

Elisashvili urged Ukraine’s state authorities to “appoint an Ambassador who will not do harm” to bilateral relations between the two countries in place of Kasianov.

The Ukrainian diplomat made the remark in an interview for European Pravda on Tuesday, saying his office was discussing the possibility of the evacuation, as a potential resumption of flights between Georgia and Russia could cause a “mass influx” of Russian nationals in the former and pose “threats” to the Ukrainian citizens who have been residing in Georgia following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that started in February 2022.

Elisashvili rebuked the envoy for having “taken upon himself the mission to spoil the Georgian-Ukrainian relations even more”, an objective he said the Charge D’Affaires was “doing everything” to achieve.

“Kasianov is looking to cause harm and inventing new ways of doing so each time. [...] I myself have been in contact with many Ukrainians, including Ukrainian children, and they are safe after [arriving here] from Crimea - they are happy here and everyone is doing well”, Elisashvili said.

I call on the authorities of Ukraine to replace this man and appoint an Ambassador who will not do such harm. I don't know why he does it, what his task is, but he does things Russia will be happy about”, the MP claimed.

“Unfortunately for us, there are a hundred thousand Russians in Georgia, but have any Ukrainians faced any problems because of this?” the lawmaker concluded in his comments.