Georgian PM claims European officials’ visit does “not serve country’s national interests”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday said an ongoing visit of a delegation of chairs of the parliamentary committees from eight member states of the European Union to the country was “not serving Georgia’s national interests”.

In his remarks over the visit, Kobakhidze claimed some of the members of the visiting delegation had been “directly involved” in the campaign for the parliamentary elections held in the country last month and had “grossly violated election principles”.

We refrained from meeting with these people for one simple reason: some of the members of this delegation were directly involved in the election campaign and were themselves grossly violating the election principles. When those people talk to us about the legitimacy of the elections, who themselves violated the election principles, first of all, the [domestic] public will assess it properly”, the PM said.

“Unfortunately, the spirit of this visit does not serve the national interests of our country. They directly spoke at a press conference about the topic of a change of Government against the will of citizens. This is not the attitude a European politician should have towards a sovereign country. Therefore, our position towards this visit is appropriate”, he concluded.

Earlier today, Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, said he had declined a meeting with the delegation, led by Lithuanian MP Žygimantas Pavilionis, citing “unfriendly rhetoric” to the ruling Georgian Dream party by specific members of the delegation, and their “sowing of chaos” in the country through their alleged backing of the “radical opposition in the name of the EU”.