Opposition leader slams Gov’t for inviting 'Putinist' economist Jeffrey Sachs to Lari anniversary

Opposition leader Roman Gotsiridze on Friday criticised the Georgian Dream government and the National Bank for inviting American economist Jeffrey Sachs as the keynote speaker at a conference marking the 30th anniversary of the national currency, the lari.

Gotsiridze, a former chair of the National Bank and one of the key figures behind the introduction of the lari in the 1990s, called the decision an “open pro-Russian statement” and condemned Sachs for what he described as clear pro-Kremlin and anti-Ukrainian views.

“Sachs was specifically chosen because of his stance - he justifies the annexation of Crimea, opposes Georgia and Ukraine joining NATO, and blames the West for provoking Russia into war,” Gotsiridze wrote on social media.

The economist, known for advising Russia during its post-Soviet transition in the early 1990s, has recently been criticised in Western circles for suggesting that US and Ukrainian actions contributed to the outbreak of the war.

Gotsiridze also voiced personal frustration at not being invited to the event, despite his historic role in creating the currency. “One of the creators of the lari, a signer of the Act of Independence, former Vice Prime Minister and former President of the National Bank, was not invited,” he said. “Shame.”

The National Bank of Georgia defended the conference, which includes over 300 participants from around 30 countries, as a platform for global financial dialogue.