EU Delegation in Georgia says reports on nature of wanted former official’s visit to Brussels “disinformation”
The EU Delegation further pointed out that “fighting disinformation against the EU was step 1 out of the 9 steps [outlined by the European Commission] towards opening accession negotiations [with Georgia]”. Photo: EU Commission
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The European Union Delegation to Georgia on Friday said media reports on the visit of Zurab Adeishvili, the wanted former Prosecutor General and Justice Minister of Georgia under the previous United National Movement Government, to European Union institutions on Tuesday had portrayed circumstances “in another way” and represented “disinformation”.
The EU delegation’s statement followed media reports saying Gert Jan Koopman, the Head of the Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, had held a meeting “with Prosecutor General of Ukraine who was accompanied by a number of people as part of the Ukrainian delegation”.
In response to recent media reports, EU Delegation in Georgia clarifies that Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman regularly meets interlocutors from the Western Balkans, the Eastern and Southern neighbourhoods and beyond - and of course, including from Ukraine”, the statement said.
“His meeting last Tuesday was with the Prosecutor General of Ukraine who was accompanied by a number of people as part of the Ukrainian delegation. Portraying this meeting in another way is disinformation”, the diplomatic office noted.
The EU Delegation further pointed out that “fighting disinformation against the EU was step 1 out of the 9 steps [outlined by the European Commission] towards opening accession negotiations [with Georgia]”.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Parliament, on Wednesday said it was “doubly regrettable” to see reports of an appearance of Zurab Adeishvili, the wanted former Prosecutor General and Justice Minister of Georgia, in the German Parliament.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday claimed President Salome Zourabichvili vetoing amendments to the regulations for electing members of the Central Election Commission was “aimed at preparing the ground for the opposition United National Movement party and its clones” to dispute results of the parliamentary elections in October.
Peter Fischer, the German Ambassador to Georgia, on Tuesday highlighted Georgia’s “significant progress” in rapprochement with the European Union and called for progress in the implementation of the steps outlined by the European Commission for opening accession talks with the country.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday claimed some leaders of the domestic opposition represented a “collective United National Movement” party.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said portraying political relations “with criminals in a normal light” was against “common values” shared by Georgian citizens and the European Union.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said an appearance of Zurab Adeishvili, the wanted former Prosecutor General and Justice Minister of Georgia, in the German Parliament and European Commission was “extremely bad and harmful” for Georgia’s “European mood”.