Georgian PM says foreign official’s arrival at protests against foreign influence bill “manifestation of crude attitude” towards country’s sovereignty

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday said the arrival of Žygimantas Pavilionis, a member of the Lithuanian Parliament, at a rally against the bill on transparency of foreign influence in Tbilisi during his visit was a “manifestation of crude attitude” towards the sovereignty of the country.

Kobakhidze’s comments followed Pavilionis joining protesters at the rally outside the Parliament, ahead of the legislative body’s vote on the controversial draft law on Tuesday.

When a member of parliament of a particular country, a politician representing a foreign country, blatantly interferes in internal political affairs of another country, it proves what we have been asserting for so long - that this is their attitude. But we are not going to show loyal attitude towards such incidents”, the official added.

Chairs of foreign relations committees of parliaments of Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania held meetings with representatives of the parliamentary opposition and civil society on Monday during their visit to the country.