Georgian PM: me and Zelenskyy only greeted each other in Budapest

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday clarified there was no substantive discussion during his brief interaction with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Budapest, on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit the previous day.

Responding to journalists’ questions, Kobakhidze confirmed they had exchanged greetings, but did not engage in a conversation.

“Zelenskyy and I, [Andriy] Yermak. and I greeted each other, but we didn’t talk”, Kobakhidze said.

The official also addressed questions regarding the lack of congratulations from international partners following Georgia’s recent parliamentary elections. Kobakhidze explained that “it is not customary to receive congratulations immediately after parliamentary elections, unless the president wins or a new government is formed”.

“Congratulations typically come after the president wins or once a government is formed following parliamentary elections. This is the accepted practice”, he claimed.

Kobakhidze further dismissed what he called “unfair” statements regarding the election quality. He noted that while Moldova’s elections faced “significant issues”, Georgia’s elections were conducted with “much better quality”, and such statements had no merit.