Gov’t position on no Ukraine arms provision “clear from beginning” - Parliament official
While acknowledging countries “much stronger than Georgia”, and with military industries, were providing arms aid to Ukraine, Samkharadze questioned the latter’s requests for weapons aid from Georgia. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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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 comments follow the article by the Ukrainian Embassy charge d'affaires Andriy Kasyanov, which on Monday said Ukrainian authorities had asked Tbilisi to aid the country’s anti-air and anti-tank defences by handing it a Buk surface-to-air missile system and also sending the portable Javelin anti-tank hardware, a request he said had been rejected by the Georgian Government.
In his remarks over the matter, the Georgian Parliament official stressed the position of official Tbilisi on provision of arms would not change, and pointed out the country was “not in a position to hand over any weapons to anyone” due to the ongoing Russian occupation of the Georgian regions of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia.
“Russia occupied 20 percent of the territories of Georgia. Therefore, Georgia is facing a very big danger - the same danger that Ukraine is facing today. There is no other country that faces such a threat from Russia”, the Parliament official noted.
[I]f someone explains to me what is the logic in handing even a small amount of weapons Georgia has to another country - even to a friendly, brotherly state [like Ukraine] - when Georgia itself is facing the Russian occupation, I will gladly listen to it”, he also pointed out.
While acknowledging countries “much stronger than Georgia”, and with military industries, were providing arms aid to Ukraine, Samkharadze questioned the latter’s requests for weapons aid from Georgia.
People's Power, a public movement established by former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Wednesday called on the United States’ Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan to deny or confirm Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Kasyanov’s claims on an arms exchange request between his country, the US and Georgia.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, on Tuesday said the charge d'affaires of Ukraine to Georgia, Andriy Kasyanov’s “shocking” statement on Tbilisi’s refusal to provide arms for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia had been instructed by Ukrainian Government, as the diplomat would not make such statements “independently”.
The Georgian Defence Ministry on Tuesday rejected claims in domestic media that said a Buk surface-to-air missile system had been handed over by Ukraine to the country “free of charge” in 2008, following an article by Ukraine’s charge d’affaires who said his Government had asked their Georgian counterparts to hand the system back to aid Ukraine’s efforts in its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Gia Tsagareishvili, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday accused Andriy Kasyanov, the charge d'affaires of Ukraine to Georgia, of making “provocative statements” over Tbilisi’s refusal to provide arms for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
Gia Volski, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday said the statement of the Ukrainian Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak about the Georgian Government’s stance over the war in Ukraine “could be assessed as an affront”.
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.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said “maintaining peace” in the country would be “one of the main challenges” for authorities in 2023.
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.
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”.
Kelly Degnan, the United States Ambassador to Georgia, on Monday said Georgia had “done many things” in support of Ukraine in the ongoing Russian invasion of the country, particularly noting the humanitarian dimension of the assistance provided by Georgian authorities.
Ukrainian citizens living in Georgia, as well as locals, gathered at a solidarity rally on Sunday on the occasion of the Ukrainian Unity Day on the Bridge of Peace in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi.
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.
Strategic cooperation between Georgia and the United States in defence and security was discussed on Thursday in a meeting between the Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze and his American counterpart Lloyd Austin.