PM Kobakhidze claims Finnish FM tasked with encouraging ‘revolutionary process’ in Georgia

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday alleged that Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen had been “assigned” to encourage a revolutionary process in Georgia, a mission he described as “doomed to fail”.

Speaking in an interview with Georgia’s First Channel, Kobakhidze claimed that Valtonen’s actions and statements reflected “a troubling decline in European bureaucracy”.

“The Finnish Foreign Minister has been given a task to promote a revolutionary process in Georgia, which is bound to be unsuccessful, but that is her assignment,” Kobakhidze said.

The Prime Minister added “the most tragic part” was that “European bureaucracy had sunk to the level of people like Baia Pataraia”, a local activist, human rights defender and lawyer.

“Just like Pataraia, this woman takes orders. There’s no difference. That is the most tragic thing in today’s European Union that European bureaucracy has fallen to this level. Whatever task they are given, they carry it out”, he said.

Kobakhidze reiterated his criticism of Valtonen’s participation in what he called an unlawful rally in Tbilisi, saying she “joined 50 people protesting illegally” and later “lied” by claiming the rally had just started and that “people were gathering with Finnish flags”.

“She said unbelievable things, showing an even lower level than Pataraia or Salome Zourabichvili [Georgia’s fifth President]. This is the real face of European bureaucracy today,” Kobakhidze added.