InterPressNews breaks down last week's major developments in Georgia.

PM Irakli Gharibashvili’s remarks on Ukraine sparks controversy

At the February 28 government session, PM Gharibashvili made extensive remarks on Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. According to him, while the war in Ukraine is unacceptable, there is no one to stop it. “Let’s say it directly, sanctions are not effective,” he said, reaffirming his previous position that Georgia was not planning to join sanctions against Russia. PM stressed that by doing so, thousands of Georgian winemakers, exporters and farmers would be affected. “Are they asking me to impose sanctions on our own people?” he asked, adding that this would harm Georgia’s 1 million citizens who will no longer be able to transfer money from Russia. Gharibashvili also slammed the former ruling party alleging that the opposition was trying to get Georgia involved in the war. “Has anyone thought about where we would have been today if Saakashvili had been in power? The war would start first in Tbilisi, then in Kyiv,” PM said.

Gharibashvili’s remarks were followed by criticism from the opposition as well as Public Defender. Ombudsman Nino Lomjaria addressed PM with a Facebook post asking him not to embarrass the country. "Irakli, no one asks you to become Zelensky, just don’t say anything!” she wrote. Lomjaria also added that sanctions worked just like vaccines, hinting at PM’s previous statement, where he claimed the vaccines were not effective against Omicron strain.

Gharibashvili’s statement on joining the sanctions was assessed by President Zurabishvili too. In an interview with FRANCE 24, President told anchors that while it was hard for Georgia to come up with any effective sanction, she didn’t understand why PM made such a statement. Zurabishvili added that she personally wouldn’t make such a remark.

Opposition’s appeal to invite Ukrainian Ambassador to Parliament rejected

On February 28, parliamentary opposition appealed to Speaker Shalva Papuashvili with a proposal to invite Ukraine’s Ambassador Igor Dolgov to Parliament in view of Russia’s further invasion. In their appeal, opposition MPs listed a number of articles that provided for the possibility for the official delegation of another state to attend the plenary session of the Parliament.

Speaker Papuashvili responded to the opposition’s appeal later that day, rejecting the request. “Do you want to show what is happening here now to the Ambassador of Ukraine?! You want to insult your colleagues in the presence of the Ambassador of Ukraine,” Papuashvili told the opposition, promising that they would not be able to do it.

Ukrainian PM calls Georgian counterpart to show courage, allow volunteers to fly to Ukraine

On late February 28, amid reports that a charter plane was not allowed to land in Tbilisi to transfer volunteers to Ukraine, PM Denys Shmyhal tweeted that “brave Georgian brothers were waiting at the airport to fly to Ukraine.” Shmyhal wrote that he hoped PM Gharibashvili would show his courage and give the volunteers permission to fly. Shmyhal’s first tweet was shortly followed by another one calling on Georgians to help their PM “to make the right decision.”

Shmyhal’s statement was swiftly responded to by Georgia’s FM Davit Zalkaliani. Zalkaliani stressed Ukrainian and Georgian PMs had a very good relationship and alleged Shmyhal was not personally involved in creating the tweets. “I have my opinion on where it might come from,” he said.

The next day, it was reported that one group of 60 volunteers left Tbilisi for Ukraine by bus to provide military and medical assistance.

Former Defense Minister leaves prison after being jailed for 9 years

Former Minister of Defense Bacho Akhalaia left Rustavi prison on March 1. Bacho Akhalaia was sentenced to 9 years imprisonment in the case of torture of inmates.

In his conversation with journalists near the prison gate, Akhalaia revealed that he has no plans to be a politician, saying that it’s not his job. “I want to get a little on my feet. I am exhausted and tired,” he noted. Former Defense Minister also said he served the country in good faith, and if some think differently, it’s another matter. Bacho Akhalaia spoke of Russia’s ongoing invasion too, expressing support and praise for Ukraine. “I am surprised by these people and even a little envious,” he added.

As for jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, Akhalaia remarked that he is ashamed to be a citizen of a country where a man of his qualities is imprisoned.

Mikheil Saakashvili calls for his transfer to Ukraine

On March 1, jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili attended his trial in the case of embezzling large sums of money. In his trial speech, which was largely dedicated to Ukraine, he made a call to be allowed to go to Kyiv. “I call on the man who decides it to let me go to my friend and my commander-in-chief Zelensky in the most dangerous place in the world - Kyiv," he said. Former President also alleged that Putin can strike Georgia only because “he is in prison here”. He stressed his task is to end the war in Ukraine and avoid it in Georgia

Saakashvili also praised the Ukrainian President, saying that before Zelensky would come into sight, he was the number one enemy of Putin in the region, but now he “hands over this honorable role to President Zelensky”.

In his speech, the former President commended Davit Arakhamia too, the leader of the majority in Verkhovna Rada and a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team in talks with Russia. "Davit Arakhamia is an IDP from Gagra [Abkhazia, Georgia]. His father was the commander of the Gagra Battalion. I am proud that he started his political career in Ukraine with my party, the New Forces Movement,” Saakashvili said, adding that he’s proud of having taken part “in his fledging.”

Ukrainian national anthem in Georgian Parliament followed by a heated altercation

On March 1, the plenary session of the Georgian Parliament opened with the national anthem of Ukraine. The Ukrainian flags were displayed on the tribune and parterre of the legislature. The MPs also observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine.

The ceremonial opening was soon followed by a quarrel when majority MP Mikheil Kavelashvili addressed the opposition with the following line - “between you and us, whoever has been acting in favor of Russia, f... them.” Kavelashvili’s words fumed the opposition MPs who called him a “clown” and demanded taking measures against him.

In meantime, Ukraine recalls its Ambassador from Georgia

As the plenary session proceeded in Parliament on March 1, Ukraine recalled its Ambassador from Georgia. The decision was announced by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky himself. As Zelensky explained, the step was due to the Georgian side preventing the departure of volunteers to Ukraine and Tbilisi’s “immoral position” on the issue of imposing sanctions.

Kyiv’s decision was responded to by Georgia’s ruling team chairman Irakli Kobakhidze, calling it “absolutely unacceptable and unjustified.” Kobakhidze said Moldova, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Israel had not joined the sanctions either but Ukraine didn’t take a similar step towards them. As for the issue of organized sending of volunteers, the GD chairman explained that by doing so the country would be directly involved in the military conflict. Kobakhidze also added that there was a “coordinated” attempt to involve Georgia in war. In his later remarks, Kobakhidze clarified that the coordination from the Georgian side was carried out by the opposition United National Movement. According to him, UNM has many representatives in the Ukrainian government, including among the close circle of Zelensky. With this respect, Kobakhidze listed the names of Davit Arakhamia and former Prosecutor-General Zurab Adeishvili. “Under such conditions, they can easily influence the decisions of the Ukrainian authorities,” he said.

Following the recall of the Ukrainian Ambassador, a rally in support of Ukraine was held in front of Parliament late evening. In addition to pro-Ukrainian causes, the organizers said the rally also demanded the resignation of the PM and early parliamentary elections. As the rally went on, opposition Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria voiced the specific demands in her address to demonstrators, which included the resignation of PM Gharibashvili and the government; closing skies to Russia; and submitting Georgia's application for EU membership. According to her, the demands were agreed upon by the opposition.

Georgia applies for EU membership

On March 2, in contrast with his March 1 statement, GD chairman Irakli Kobakhidze announced at a briefing that the Georgian government was preparing an application for European Union candidate status. Kobakhidze explained that the application would be sent to relevant EU bodies the following day. According to him, Georgian Dream was planning for submitting the application in 2024, however, given the general political context and new reality, the party’s political council made a decision to send the membership application urgently.

Georgia’s bid for EU membership was commended by a large political spectrum, including, For Georgia, UNM, Reform Group, Lelo, as well as civil society.

The next day, on March 3, following Ukraine’s footsteps, PM Irakli Gharibashvili signed the EU membership application in the live broadcast. In his address to the population, Gharibashvili called the occasion historic and said that this day was laying a foundation that would lead Georgia to membership in the European family. He also hoped that the journey to EU integration would be taken together with Abkhazian and Ossetian compatriots.

Georgia’s EU membership application was shortly submitted to the Permanent Representative of France, the country which holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On the same day, following Ukraine’s and Georgia’s bids, the EU membership application was also signed by Moldova, another member of the so-called Associated Trio.

Parliamentary Bureau postpones President’s annual speech

On March 2, the Presidential administration reported that Salome Zurabishvili would deliver an annual speech at Parliament on March 5. However, the next day, members of the majority suggested that the annual report could be postponed.

On March 4, at the sitting of the Parliamentary Bureau, where the date of the speech was to be decided, President’s Parliamentary Secretary stated that Zurabishvili planned to discuss her visits to Paris and Brussels at Parliament and requested not to change the date. Nevertheless, the Bureau decided to still postpone the annual report and proposed March 15 as a possible date. As chairman of the Georgian Dream faction, Mamuka Mdinaradze explained at the sitting, there were much more urgent issues than President’s annual report, noting that he didn’t intend to diminish its importance.

After the end of the Bureau meeting, Zurabishvili’s Parliamentary Secretary told journalists that he couldn’t understand why President’s annual speech led to so many controversies. The Secretary also noted that President had consulted with the Parliament before making the announcement on the date of the annual report.

GD chairman Kobakhidze alleges a large-scale campaign against Russian citizens in Georgia

On March 4, at an afternoon briefing, Georgian Dream chairman Irakli Kobakhidze alleged that Georgia was the only country to launch a large-scale campaign against Russian citizens. According to Kobakhidze, UNM, as a “war party” that wants to involve Georgia in military conflict, now launched a new discriminatory and chauvinistic campaign against Russian citizens in concert with affiliated NGOs.

GD chairman stressed that there was no justification for Russia’s war against Ukraine, however, punishing innocent citizens for this was “completely inadmissible and categorically unacceptable.” Kobakhidze declared that the Georgian Parliament had already started working on tightening the bill directed against discrimination on ethnic grounds and incitement to ethnic hatred.

Kobakhidze’s statement was responded to by European Georgian chairman Giga Bokeria, who said the issue in question concerned citizenship, not ethnicity. “It is the sovereign right of every country and the duty of the government to admit or not admit a particular citizen of any foreign country in the specific circumstances,” he noted. According to Bokeria, although with a delay, the free world is beginning to crush Putin’s regime economically, and amid this process, it is absolutely natural that there may be influxes of Russian citizens, including those in the service of the regime, to escape and evade sanctions. Bokeria said that Georgia shouldn’t become a loophole for such people. “That is why it is absolutely understandable that some financial institutions exercise prudence to prevent being used as means for circumventing free world sanctions by Russian citizens and Putin regime’s direct or indirect servants,” European Georgia chairman stressed.

Zelensky addresses Tbilisi, several other European cities

On March 4, it was announced that late evening Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would make a live address to several European cities, including Tbilisi.

Thousands gathered in front of the Georgian Parliament around 20:00 to watch the address on a big screen. Demonstrators, carrying Georgian and Ukrainian flags, chanted “Glory to Ukraine”. Before Zelensky’s speech, the participants of the Tbilisi rally were addressed by MEPs Rasa Juknevičienė and Andrius Kubilius.

Zelensky's appearance was met with loud applause on Rustaveli Avenue. Ukrainian President divided his three-minute address into three parts, dedicating each minute to servicemen who died for Ukraine, deceased civilians, and European people, respectively. Volodymyr Zelensky asked Europeans not to be silent, because, in his words, if Ukraine wins, it will be a victory for the whole democratic world. Zelensky ended his speech by thanking those across the continent who gathered to watch him. “Tbilisi, Paris, Lyon, Bratislava, Frankfurt, Vilnius, Prague, you are all Ukrainians today," he said.

Zelensky’s talk was followed by President Salome Zurabishvili’s somewhat unexpected address from the screen on Tbilisi’s main avenue. The country’s President thanked the demonstrators on live and told them that today they represented the dignity of Georgia. Zurabishvili declared that she stands where it’s due for Georgia - with President Zelensky and Ukraine. “It is the dignity of our culture, tradition, the Georgian nation, to stand where our friendly country fights for freedom, independence, European future,” she said while being applauded.

Russia allows Georgian dairy products on its market, Kyiv slams Tbilisi

On March 6, information regarding Russia’s decision to allow Georgian dairy products on its market spread across the media. In repose to media reports, the National Food Agency of Georgia released a statement saying that active efforts have been made for many years to increase the export of Georgian agricultural products to the world markets. According to the agency, negotiations on the export of Georgian animal products with Russia have been underway since 2020. As the National Food Agency told InterPressNews, the decision on importing Georgian dairy products to the Russian market was made by the Russian side the day before, on March 5. They explained that according to the decision, the Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service (Rosselkhoznadzor) allowed 15 Georgian companies to import products to the Russian market.

Later, in his conversation with InterPressNews, the head of the Georgian Association of Dairy Producers declared that in these circumstances, the members of the Association did not intend to export dairy products to the Russian Federation. According to him, 57 companies are part of the Association.

The reports were soon responded to by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. The MFA said that all this was happening against the backdrop of the “Georgian authorities’ disinclination to support the new sanctions of the EU against Russia.” Kyiv called on Tbilisi to publicly distance itself from the decision of Moscow, explaining that the promotion of trade relations with Russia, whose armed forces are attacking peaceful Ukrainian cities, was unacceptable in the strongest terms. According to Ukrainian MFA, engaging in business with Russian companies provides Moscow with additional resources to continue the war. The MFA’s statement accused Georgian authorities of forgetting Russian aggression and of attempts to “seize the moment to cater for their own interests.”