PM Kobakhidze: if EU pursues direct dialogue with Russia, it may also seek talks with Georgia’s ‘pro-Russian’ Gov’t

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday said as European officials increasingly speak about the need for direct dialogue with Russia, it would be logical for them to consider dialogue with Georgia’s Government as well, which he said is often labelled “pro-Russian”.

Kobakhidze made the remarks at a briefing held at the Government Administration while commenting on a report published by the European Commission.

“European bureaucrats are increasingly talking about the need to begin direct dialogue with Russia. Where they plan to start direct dialogue with Russia, they will probably also want to start dialogue with the ‘pro-Russian’ Government of Georgia,” the Prime Minister said.

He argued that the political context within the European Union has changed, including attitudes towards Russia.

“When objective assessments are written in the EU and documents are prepared based on empirical research, everything is reflected as it is in reality. In contrast, there are often harsh political statements that have nothing to do with objective reality. This is another example of how an objective researcher sees the situation in Georgia,” Kobakhidze stated.

Kobakhidze said his comments were intended to highlight what he described as double standards within European bureaucracy, calling the issue a “serious problem” and expressing hope that the EU would overcome these challenges.