PM says topic of imprisoned fmr President Saakashvili “never raised” in meetings with EU officials
Kobakhidze said the issue of Saakashvili's release had not been raised “at any meeting” during the trip. Photo: Government Administration
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday said the topic of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili had “never” been mentioned in meetings with European Union officials during his visit to Brussels this week.
Kobakhidze said the issue of Saakashvili's release had not been raised “at any meeting” during the trip.
I can tell you frankly and with full responsibility that this matter was never raised at any meeting, including bilateral meetings. In the NATO-Georgia Commission, [or] the Georgia-EU Association Council, Saakashvili's name was not mentioned at all. This is the real situation - anything else is speculation”, he said.
The PM further claimed the domestic opposition had “conducted a fake campaign” about Saakashvili's health condition in detention over the past two years, and added they “do not have the resources to launch a new campaign today” with Georgia’s foreign partners.
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Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Parliament's Human Rights Committee, on Thursday denounced an amendment introduced by Anna Fotyga, a member of the European Parliament, to a resolution to urge the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili to pardon the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, as “provocative”.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Saturday said the Government desired to have “very constructive and good relations” with the European Parliament and all European Union institutions, as it was “necessary” for Georgia’s integration into the bloc.