Georgia’s Speaker praises Garibashvili’s legacy after exit from politics

Georgia’s Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, on Friday praised Irakli Garibashvili, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party and former prime minister, for his role in “steering the country through a series of crises”, including the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions linked to the war in Ukraine.

Speaking to journalists, Papuashvili thanked Garibashvili for his service and suggested the former prime minister would continue to play a role in Georgia’s future, despite his departure from frontline politics.

“I think this is the moment when we should thank him for the work he has done for the country,” Papuashvili said. “I am sure that he, as a non-politician in this case, will play an important role in the further development of Georgia.”

Papuashvili also made claims about alleged international pressure faced by Georgia during the early stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He alleged that the Joe Biden administration sought to draw Georgia into a broader confrontation with Russia – pressure, he claimed, Garibashvili had resisted.

“At the time when the war in Ukraine began, there was direct pressure from the Biden administration to involve us in an escalation with Russia,” Papuashvili said, adding that a former US ambassador had personally visited Georgian officials, including himself, to push for such action. “Garibashvili’s tough, direct position at the time…was decisive in maintaining peace in Georgia.”

The speaker credited Garibashvili’s leadership with helping the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and revitalising economic growth after taking over as prime minister in 2021, following Giorgi Gakharia’s resignation.

Turning to recent questions about internal party dynamics and foreign policy, Papuashvili dismissed suggestions that Garibashvili stepped down to avoid international sanctions, noting, “Why?! I have not been sanctioned either.”

On the future leadership of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Papuashvili said the party congress would determine the next chairman.

When asked about the party’s battle with so-called “Deep State” elements, he claimed that the “Trump administration should defeat it,” and that it was not within Georgia’s capacity to confront it. “President Trump has declared that his goal is to defeat the ‘Deep State’, in which we wish him success,” he said.