KYIV (FNI) – Supporters of the United National Movement party, chaired by Mikheil Saakashvili, the third president of Georgia, are expecting Saakashvili’s extradition from Ukraine. But such a twist does not comply with the plans of the Governor of Odessa State Administration. Why the former president of Georgia does not want to leave Ukraine and how to return the occupied Georgian and Ukrainian territories Front News International found out during the interview with Giorgi Baramidze, one of the United National Movement of Georgia party leader.
Court hearings on Mikheil Saakashvili have proceeded in Ukraine, while the former governor of Odessa region was sued for three years detention in Georgia after granting a pardon to those guilty in Sandro Girgvliani murder case.
According to the Georgian politician, the lawsuits against Mikheil Saakashvili both in Ukraine and in Georgia demonstrate that the interests of the Georgian and Ukrainian authorities coincide with the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The fight against Putin has not started today, it started a long time ago, when Saakashvili’s mindset and actions made him win. In 2008, Putin used tanks against Georgia. There are documents of Condoleezza Rice telling Lavrov at the UN meeting that the purpose of such an invasion was not only controlling Georgia but also overthrow the democratically elected government. This struggle continues. Saakashvili can be stopped only with a bullet. Neither political pressure nor PR campaigns could stop him. If they didn’t manage to do it once, they won’t manage later also ” Giorgi Baramidze said.
Baramidze believes that the Tbilisi court condemned Saakashvili with absurd accusations, as he legitimately used his exclusive right to pardon.
The Georgian investigation focused on four MIA officers who had committed crimes killing one of the Georgia bankers and should have served a term in prison as a result. But after the war with Russia in 2009, Saakashvili made a decision to pardon 133 members of the Defense Ministry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other law enforcement agencies.
“Those four employees were involved and due to this fact, Saakashvili was judged of using the constitutional right and the right to pardon, which is not disputed by any law. This shows again that they did not manage to find any money, any administrative offense or corruption commitment during a time of him being a president, ” Baramidze says.
Answering a question whether Saakashvili’s supporters in Georgia expect his extradition, Baramidze says that they hope for the best, but are preparing for the worst.
“We have a strategy prepared in case of worth scenario. Naturally, it all depends on people, I think it may lead to anger and disappointment of quite a large number of our citizens. I do not presume to say that Saakashvili is a politician who is unequivocally supported because when a person is so directly fighting against corruption and crime, there is a number of those depending on this and naturally they do not like Saakashvili. However, there are those who understand what Saakashvili did in Georgia, how he established a modern Georgian state from the failed one. This is an indisputable truth. He is responsible for creating the modern Georgian army, the modern Georgian police, the prosecutor’s office, and judiciary reforms, “Baramidze adds.
According to him, Georgia’s budget grew 11-fold during the presidency of Saakashvili. Moreover, when the Saakashvili-led government came in, Georgia’s economy was $ 4 billion worth, and in 2012, when Saakashvili’s team lost the elections, the economy was $ 16 billion worth, 4 times increased, now the economy with is $ 15 billion, which shows that economic growth does not continue.”
“Ukrainian citizens and Ukraine need the same. We need such a governor, people understand this, and Mikhail is serious about bringing this matter to the end. It is her the fate of Ukraine and Eastern Europe is being decided. If Ukraine does not win, then all that we did in Georgia, it will be in vain. Therefore, we are connected as climbers, who climb to the top. If Ukraine falls, then Georgia falls along. Therefore, this is our “selfish” interest, that Ukraine succeeds in what we have succeeded, ” the Georgian politician says.
Baramidze believes Saakashvili should stay in Ukraine and he will sooner or later regain Ukrainian citizenship.
“He does not even care about this (the regain of citizenship – FNI), the main thing is that he has the opportunity to help his team. He wants to promote his people so that they go to parliament and take power in Ukraine, and the Ukrainians themselves could decide on future of their country. And it is important for him that Ukraine fight the kleptocratic power and move forward, “Baramidze adds.
Except for Saakashvili, Ukraine and Georgia have a common goal – the return of the territories occupied by Russia and a possibility of becoming members the North Atlantic Alliance.
“When Germany, whose territory was occupied, joined NATO, did the war begin? No. When Georgia and Ukraine join NATO, then Russia will have less motivation to continue the occupation. This is especially significant in the case of the Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia. These regions are considered to be an insignificant territory for Russia, here is the Tskhinvali region, we considered it to be 0.0001% of the territory of the Russian Federation, it’s nothing at all. Russia does not need these Ukrainian and Georgian territories. Russia uses the occupation as a lever for our authorities and people to intimidate and blackmail, and to return Georgia and Ukraine to the orbit of Russia’s exclusive influence. And when we become members of NATO, Russia will understand that it owes these occupied territories and all this. It can no longer occupy Ukraine and Georgia, motivation is lost, ” Baramidze says.
Russia will be more financially and economically pressured, because of the occupation. And Georgia and Ukraine becoming NATO members mean naturally the influence of the Western world will be much greater and reaction and the efforts of the Western world by diplomatic and political means to the occupied territories will greater.
“That is, the entire paradigm will change, the status quo will change in our favor, in favor of peaceful unification of both Ukraine and Georgia. This should be an incentive. If the Western world does not want to further stimulate the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, they must fulfill their resolution of the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest as soon as possible, that Ukraine and Georgia will be NATO members. The end of disussion ” the Georgian politician sums up.
