French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Bidzina Ivanishvili, honorary chairman of the Georgian Dreamparty and oligarch, on December 11 at his own initiative.
The Élysée Palace reported that during the conversation, Macron condemned the intimidation of civil society and opposition members, as well as police violence against peaceful protesters and journalists.
The statement said:
“The President of the Republic held a meeting at his own initiative with Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili, Honorary President of the Georgian Dream.
He condemned the intimidation of representatives of civil society and the opposition, as well as the violence of the security forces against peaceful demonstrators and journalists. He demanded the release of all those who were arbitrarily arrested and called for respect for freedoms of expression and assembly.
He once again regretted that Georgia had deviated from its European trajectory and reiterated his conviction that the relationship between the European Union and Georgia would necessarily be affected by the directions that have been or will be taken.
He called for an inclusive dialogue with all political parties and representatives of civil society, respecting the European and democratic aspirations of the Georgian people, which he once again welcomed.”
The ruling Georgian Dream party also released information about the conversation between Ivanishvili and Macron.
According to their statement, the discussion took place at the initiative of the French President and lasted for one hour. Both parties agreed to stay in contact in the coming days to assess the progress made.
“Macron expressed regret over the situation in Georgia and his willingness to assist in resolving the issue. For his part, Bidzina Ivanishvili thanked President Macron for his initiative and welcomed the idea of joint efforts to stabilize the situation,” the ruling party’s statement read.
