PM calls on Ukrainian Gov’t to take decisions to “strengthen historic friendship” between countries

Georgian Prime Minister Kobakhidze on Tuesday called on the Ukrainian Government to take decisions that would “strengthen the historic friendship between the two countries and not the other way around”, in response to a recent visit of the wanted former official Zurab Adeishvili to Brussels and Germany as part of a Ukrainian delegation.

Kobakhidze’s comments followed after David Arakhamia, the head of the ruling People's Servant party in the Ukrainian Rada, on Monday called on the Georgian Government to release the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

In his remarks, Kobakhidze noted that “Georgia respects Ukrainian people, therefore the Georgian Government is not going to engage in polemics with David Arakhamia or other politicians”.

Arakhamia's statement confirmed what we were saying, this is the attitude shown by this representative of the Ukrainian Government. This is very sad. We support the Ukrainian people and express our solidarity with the Ukrainian state, which is manifested by specific actions”, the PM said.

“However, Ukraine is in a very difficult situation today. We respect the Ukrainian people and, therefore, we are not going to engage in polemics with Arakhamia or other politicians”, he reiterated.

The Georgian Government on Monday expressed its “deep concern” over the “attitude demonstrated by the Ukrainian authorities towards the friendly country of Georgia and its people” through the recent inclusion of Adeishvili, the Prosecutor General and the Justice Minister of Georgia in the former United National Movement Government, as part of an official delegation of Ukraine to the European Union and Germany.