Ruling party head expresses “full solidarity” with Ukrainian people, rebukes Ukrainian Gov’t stance in bilateral relations
Kobakhidze’s comment follows the controversy over the absence of a Georgian representation from a planned event in Ukraine on Friday to mark the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the country, where dignitaries from Ukraine’s partner states have been invited. Photo: Georgian Dream Press Office
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Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday expressed “full solidarity” of the Georgian Government with the Ukrainian people amid the ongoing war in the country, while saying the Ukrainian Government’s stance towards its Georgian counterpart “prevented” the latter from “participating in official formats” in support of the country.
Kobakhidze’s comment follows the controversy over the absence of a Georgian representation from a planned event in Ukraine on Friday to mark the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the country, where dignitaries from Ukraine’s partner states have been invited.
Georgian authorities have confirmed their absence from the event, with ruling Georgian Dream party MP Irakli Zarkua on Monday saying the stances of Ukrainian officials in their “calls for Georgia to open the second front [of the ongoing war]” and other examples left “no space for diplomatic relations”.
In his remarks over the matter, Kobakhidze joined the remarks, saying the position of the Ukrainian officials on the latest developments around Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and their “calls to open a second front amid the Russian invasion” “hinder relations”, a development he called “unfortunate”.
When they directly call on the Georgian people, Georgia, to [open] the second front, when they spread completely disgraceful lies on the Georgian Government ‘killing’ Mikheil Saakashvili [and] ‘torturing’ him [...] When the Government of a country at war is engaged in spreading such lies, it is absolutely incredible”, Kobakhidze said.
“When we are directly called to [open] the second front, an official visit [to Ukraine] under such conditions is unthinkable”, the party Chair added.
We express our full solidarity with the Ukrainian people, and this is expressed not only in words, but also in specific actions, acts of support. As for the position of the Ukrainian Government, their position does not allow us to participate in official formats, which is very unfortunate”, the GD official concluded.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said his country was “most supportive” to Ukraine, amid the latter’s defence from the Russian invasion, “considering the circumstances” related to the presence of Russian troops in Georgia’s occupied regions and a lack of “any international political or economic umbrella” protecting the country.
The Georgian Government has supported Ukraine “at all international levels” and will continue to do so on the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of the country, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili told a meeting of the Government on Monday.
Speaker of the Georgian parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday told the first parliamentary summit of the International Crimea Platform his country’s support for Ukraine was “unconditional and timeless”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, along with the parliamentary delegation of Georgia, met with Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Chair Ruslan Stefanchuk and denounced Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine on an official visit to the country on Saturday.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday vowed his support to Ukraine and its people as the ongoing war in the country entered its second year.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said the country’s legislative delegation had arrived in Prague, the Czech Republic, to express Tbilisi’s support for Ukraine at the Second Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform on Tuesday.