“Fake news” on media “harms reputation” of Georgia, US - Parliament Speaker

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said “fake news” on media “harmed the reputation” of both Georgia and the United States, after the US Embassy rejected comments by a local reporter on an alleged rejection by the Georgian Government of plans for a launch of a US military base in the country in 2021.

Papuashvili was commenting after the Embassy denied the comments made on Mtavari Arkhi channel that alleged the rejection of the alleged plans during the visit of Lloyd Austin, the Secretary of Defence of the US, to Georgia two years ago.

The Parliament official said the report had been “not based on any data or fact”, and noted the “only person” subsequently commenting on the topic was a board member of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, who he said had been elected to the position by the domestic opposition.

He added the Embassy had been forced to issue the statement because the board member was “spreading false information”, with the development “demonstrating how the domestic opposition is choosing candidates for such important positions”.

The chief Georgian legislator added the production of “outright lies” in “these complicated geopolitical circumstances” was “far from honest journalism” on the part of media outlets.