Ruling party Sec Gen says “no grounds” for deterioration of relations between Georgia, West

Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said there were “no grounds” for a deterioration of relations between the West and Georgia. 

Kaladze commented on the scheduled hearing at the United States Senate on relations with Georgia following the adoption of a controversial law on transparency of foreign influence by the Georgian Parliament late May.

The ruling party official noted the Government’s “readiness for partnership, friendship and deepening of ties” with the West, as well as a “reboot” of relations. 

I would like to emphasise once again that the Georgian Government is ready for partnership, friendship, deepening of relations. It is ready to reboot existing relations, because if we have achieved any success on the path of European integration, it is the merit of the [ruling] Georgian Dream [party] together with Georgian citizens”, he said.

Kaladze further rejected statements made by Western officials about the Georgian Government no longer taking democratic steps and instead adopting laws that contradicted democratic values by saying that “these are false allegations”.

The people from whom we hear these statements were assessing the situation [in the country] before 2012, the troubles that were happening in the country, what [the imprisoned former President] Saakashvili was doing to citizens, as a ‘beacon of democracy’. Now these people tell us that the country has taken a step back in democracy”, he continued.

Kaladze stressed the Government would “not allow anyone to use interests of the country to pursue interests of their countries”, and further pointed out that “we will not allow [anyone] to drag the country into a situation in which, unfortunately, Ukraine is today”.