"All self-respecting governments would do as we do" - Prime Minister of Georgia

Garibashvili on the war

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili responded to the President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, who said at a briefing dedicated to the anniversary of the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war that the government of Georgia has isolated itself, as it has never gone to Kiev, unlike the leaders of other countries.

“All self-respecting governments would do as we do,” replied Garibashvili.

He did go to Turkey on February 23, instead of Kyiv, where he met with President Erdoğan.

What else did Garibashvili say?

● If someone wants to do something, if you want to go to Kyiv, you are free, we do not prevent anyone. We protect our country, the interests of our people and, finally, the interests of the Ukrainian people, and we express solidarity with them.

● All Ukrainians who are in our country live safely, we have created maximum comfort for them, opened schools in the Ukrainian language and continue to do everything possible.

● The overwhelming majority of our population supports the government’s course on establishing long-term peace and stability in the country.

● Let’s remember again what the results of the year were. Today, Ukraine has already lost 20 percent of its territory, tens of thousands of people have died, the damage has not yet been calculated, although it is said that it is 700-800 billion dollars (and according to some estimates a trillion dollars). And we see that the war isn’t stopping. So we must manage our own country without emotions … We must continue to move forward and protect the national interests of our country.

● The war is completely unjustified. You know that from the first days of the war, Georgians stood on the side of the Ukrainian people. We received thousands of Ukrainians in Georgia and provided maximum support to our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. As you know, we were co-authors of the UN resolution.

● We support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. We want this war to end as soon as possible and peace to be restored. This is our main message. Also, I want to say that for the last year we have supported the Ukrainian people on all platforms.

On February 20, the deputy of the ruling party “Georgian Dream” Irakli Zarkua confirmed that on February 24, the Ukrainian Rada invited a delegation of the Parliament of Georgia to Kyiv, which Georgian Dream refused.

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After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the situation between Georgia and its strategic partner, Ukraine, worsened. Even in February, Georgia did not join the sanctions imposed by the West against Russia. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili declared that Georgia will not join the sanctions, as it contradicts the country’s national interests and sanctions cannot stop hostilities in Ukraine.

On December 6, the executive secretary of Georgian Dream Mamuka Mdinaradze stated that members of “the war party” [United National Movement] are going to the villages in search of people who could be sent to Ukraine.

Garibashvili, at the government meeting on December 5, expressed his condolences to the families of the Georgian soldiers who died in Bakhmut and again referred to the “war party”.