President’s Office says Zourabichvili criticised Putin but not Xi Jinping in TV interview
The Georgian President’s Office on Tuesday made explanations on the President's latest comments in her interview with France’s LCI TV channel. Photo: President’s press office
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The Georgian President’s Office on Tuesday rejected allegations that Salome Zourabichvili had made a mention of the Chinese President Xi Jinping “in a negative context” in her interview with France’s LCI TV channel last week, claiming the President had limited her criticism to her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The statement follows a fallout from the interview, where Zourabichvili has been cited to have said seeing the leaders of the two states put on trial would be a “historic result”, and would “resolve certain matters”.
In the comment rejecting the reports, the Office said Zourabichvili’s answer had made “no reference to Georgia-China relations or specifically the Chinese President”.
The body also said its Head Natia Sulava had made the explanation to Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, in a meeting on Tuesday, and told the diplomat the interview had only concerned Georgia’s relations with the European Union and Russia.
Officials from the ruling Georgian Dream party on Tuesday slammed the President for the interview and claimed Zourabichvili was “trying to harm the country’s interests” before the expiration of her official term in office next year.
Georgia and China established a strategic partnership in July, during Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s visit to the country.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday claimed President Salome Zourabichvili was “trying to somehow damage the country’s interests” after the latter on Saturday said in an interview seeing the Chinese leader put on trial would be a “historic outcome”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday told Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, that comments by the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who on Saturday said seeing the Russian and Chinese leaders put on trial would be a “historic outcome”, were “categorically unacceptable and disturbing”.
Georgian Vice Prime Minister Levan Davitashvili on Tuesday rejected “baseless” media reports as though he had had “personal communication” with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum in China earlier this month, by saying he had not had “any kind of closed negotiations or dialogues” during the Forum.
Georgian and Chinese Governments on Monday shared their “commitment” to expand cooperation in political, economic and cultural fields, strengthen collaboration in international affairs and bilateral relations, and safeguard regional and world peace, stability and development together in a joint statement on establishing a strategic partnership.