Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused European Union representatives of suspending funding based on false information. Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Kobakhidze expressed his concern over what he described as dishonesty in EU decision-making, which, he argued, negatively affects financial support for certain projects.
“The issue arises when EU representatives halt funding based on lies. Such lies are a serious problem and reflect poorly on the EU’s representatives,” Kobakhidze stated.
When asked about the suspension of funds following the adoption of the controversial Foreign Influence Transparency law, often referred to as the “Russian law,” the Prime Minister reassured that any financial shortfall could be easily covered. He downplayed the significance of the suspended funds, noting that the amounts involved were relatively small.
“The term ‘Russian law’ is a lie, and you all know that. If any funding has been suspended, it can be easily compensated. The sums involved are minimal. It’s unfortunate that funding is being withheld based on falsehoods, but making up for it isn’t a challenge,” Kobakhidze explained.
He highlighted that the Georgian government’s budget has grown by 10 billion GEL over the past four years. Comparing EU contributions to domestic spending, he pointed out that while the EU allocates around 5 million euros annually to agriculture, the Georgian government invests 330 million GEL in the same sector each year.
“This funding is a drop in the ocean compared to our budget. While compensating for it is not an issue, it is deeply concerning that the EU is making decisions based on misinformation. This money is miserable, and we can easily compensate it to them,” Kobakhidze concluded.
