In response to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s New Year greeting to Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgian opposition politician Roman Gotsiridze stated that the message was directed at Georgia as a nation, not specifically at the Georgian Dream Chairman.
“Mark Rutte extended his New Year wishes to the country, Georgia, not to Irakli Kobakhidze personally,” Gotsiridze told Front News.
He added that as Georgia is officially a NATO membership aspirant, it would have been politically inappropriate for Rutte to omit Georgia from his holiday greetings.
“Rutte likely sent similar messages to other countries, and excluding Georgia would have been politically incorrect,” Gotsiridze remarked.
The greeting has drawn attention because Rutte’s letter referred to Kobakhidze as “Prime Minister” of Georgia. The phrasing has sparked curiosity and debate, particularly in light of the current political climate and controversy about the legitimacy of the Georgian government.
