It’s importance int’l community to know what Ukrainian officials, others demand from Tbilisi – ruling party head

I think it is important for the international community to know everything about what is being demanded from our country, including by Ukrainian high-ranking officials, Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party on Wednesday said in comments to the prime minister’s address to a Qatar Economic Forum panel discussion earlier that day. 

“Let me remind you which officials requested the opening of a second front in Georgia in an open text. It was the Secretary of the Security Council – there is no higher official than the president. Oleksiy Danilov directly requested the opening of a second front in Georgia. Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelenskyy’s chief adviser, directly spoke about the second front”, Kobakhidze said.  

 

In his address Garibashvili claimed unidentified forces wished to see Tbilisi involved in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying his government would ensure “peace and stability” in the country. 

The PM has also accused the West of trading with Russia amid its calls to Georgian authorities  not to allow direct flights with Russia, following the Kremlin’s decision this month to lift visa and travel restrictions with Georgia. 

“The US is a very important strategic partner.  We are extremely grateful for everything  the US has done for us. We are extremely grateful for Europe as well. Georgia has a sovereign right to have its own national interests. We have an economic and trade relationship with Russia. We have one million Georgians, ethnic Georgians, our citizens, diaspora living in Russia. To have a direct flight with Russia, I think it is very normal”, Garibashvili said. 

Providing a 2020 census in Russia, Kelly Degnan, the US ambassador to Georgia said earlier this month only 113,000 Georgians lived in Russia.