Lemonjava: Georgian Dream is sending clear signal that it doesn’t intend to meet western demands

A member of the opposition Coalition for Change, Levan Lemonjava, has claimed that the ruling Georgian Dream party is not planning to comply with demands from Western partners and is instead deepening ties with China.

According to Lemonjava, China did not support the UN resolution on the dignified return of internally displaced persons from Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region, which he said indicates a lack of support for Georgia’s territorial integrity.

“I do not believe [ruling party founder] Bidzina Ivanishvili is pursuing a sovereign autocratic policy. He is a tool in the hands of the Kremlin and has now also become a tool of Iran and China. Since 2011, he has served as an instrument of Russia’s hybrid warfare against the Georgian people and Georgia’s national interests,” Lemonjava said.

He argued that the United States had set conditions for Ivanishvili, including distancing himself from what he described as harmful foreign influences, specifically Russia, Iran and the Chinese Communist Party. Lemonjava said that, despite this, the Georgian authorities have announced plans to further strengthen strategic relations with China.

The opposition politician also questioned the economic benefits of strategic cooperation with Beijing, stating that China does not invest without pursuing its own interests.

“What Georgian Dream is doing now is sending a message to the United States: we already had a strategic partnership with China and now we are moving to an even higher level of dependence. This is a very clear signal showing that Georgian Dream does not intend to fulfill Western demands,” Lemonjava said.