Georgian PM: Ukrainian MP Arakhamia insisted Georgia not be granted candidacy

Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili has accused the head of the Servant of the People’s faction in the Ukrainian state legislature and one of the negotiators in Russia-Ukraine peace talks, David Arakhamia, of taking actions against Georgia’s EU candidate status.

Garibashvili, who appeared in parliament on Wednesday, once again accused Arakhamia, who is of Georgian origin, of being allied with the “destructive United National Movement.”

The PM suggested that Arakhamia was lobbying against Georgia’s candidate status in Europe and in the US, and that he [Garibashvili] learnt about it from Georgia’s “European and American friends.”

“An ultimatum was practically made to Europe that if Georgia received the candidate status, they [the Ukrainians] would be very disappointed,” Garibashvili suggested.

He reiterated that Arakhamia and several Ukrainian officials had made “unfounded allegations” against Georgia on supporting Russia to circumvent international sanctions.

“However, they [the Ukrainians] have not presented any evidence so far,” Garibashvili said,

Arakhamia said last week, while in the US, that Russia was bypassing international sanctions via Georgian companies and banking institutions, the allegations which were dismissed by the National Bank of Georgia.