Ruling party Secretary General addresses backlash on presenting Georgian map “without occupied regions”

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze on Monday responded to the recent claims regarding the presentation of Georgia’s map allegedly without the country’s Russian-occupied regions during a briefing by the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili earlier during the day.

Kaladze claimed the video recording did not fully capture the map shown, which he emphasized was clearly visible in the distributed materials.

“Actually, this indicates that there is nothing left to discuss. Initially, there was celebration following the elections, but when it became clear that they had lost, they shifted to a campaign of lies and accusations, claiming the elections were rigged. However, no one has provided evidence to support these claims. Today’s incident further demonstrates their lack of resources and substantiation,” Kaladze said.

He noted the presentation included a “detailed map of Georgia”, highlighting areas where elections took place.

“Certain territories are occupied, and what we are facing today is a consequence of their [the previous United National Movement Government’s] misguided policies. These individuals have no right to comment on the country’s territorial integrity, as they were directly involved in actions that led to the loss of our territories,” Kaladze added.

Showing the map has caused criticism on social networks, accusing the GD of making a “social experiment” on the people and aligning with “pro-Kremlin policies”.