Giorgi Rukhadze: If you have even a little self-respect, your first visits shouldn’t be to Hungary, Azerbaijan, or the Emirates – “Georgian Dream” is trying to create an illusion of legitimacy

"I can definitively say that at this meeting, travel to the Schengen zone will end for the Georgian Dream elite – there will be very strict statements," said Giorgi Rukhadze, founder of the Strategic Analysis Center, on PalitraNews’ program Day’s Newsroom regarding today’s meeting at the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

Rukhadze is convinced that today’s meeting will prepare the groundwork for stricter sanctions.

"The main expectation from this meeting is that the Council of Ministers will approve the suspension of visa-free travel for diplomatic passport holders. This is the minimum. Of course, there will be very strict statements, and I am sure the groundwork will be laid for stricter financial sanctions. Even if these sanctions aren’t approved at this meeting (most likely, they won’t be, as consensus on the issue hasn’t been reached yet), they will happen at subsequent meetings, and today’s meeting will prepare the ground for that. I can definitively say that at this meeting, travel to the Schengen zone will end for the Georgian Dream elite," Rukhadze stated.

Regarding the issue of recognizing the credentials of the Georgian delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Rukhadze said that if it happens, Georgian Dream will attempt to use PACE as a platform to break their isolation.

"Georgian Dream will try to use PACE as a platform to break their isolation. This is a space where many parliamentary delegations from European countries gather. If the Georgian parliamentary delegation is recognized as legitimate there, it will give them a chance to claim to their supporters and others that they are not illegitimate since they participate in PACE four times a year and have discussions.

On the other hand, even if the delegation is present there, it won’t legitimize the Georgian Dream’s government. It will only provide them with a platform for limited international interactions. However, when the Council of Europe is one of Europe’s largest human rights organizations, it’s illogical for Georgian Dream’s illegitimate regime, which blatantly violates these rights, to sit there.

Let’s not forget that countries like Russia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan still participate at the delegation level in PACE. However, Russia’s delegation was suspended after their invasion of Ukraine. Belarus is in a similar situation. It would be logical to suspend the delegation of Georgia’s illegitimate parliament, Ivanishvili’s regime, which acts as an extension of Russia’s occupying regime in Georgia. It’s possible they will be saved by non-democratic countries like Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, but democratic nations like Germany, France, and Italy are moving toward ensuring that Georgia’s illegitimate government is not represented there," Rukhadze said.

Additionally, Giorgi Rukhadze commented on Irakli Kobakhidze’s visit to the UAE and Shalva Papuashvili’s visit to Hungary, stating that Georgian Dream is attempting to create an illusion that they have "some level of international legitimacy."

"With these types of visits, Georgian Dream is trying to create an illusion among their supporters that they have some level of international legitimacy and relationships with other countries. Kobakhidze’s visit to Azerbaijan was part of this effort, as was the visit to Hungary. Hungary is the only European country where a Georgian Dream delegation managed to visit, which says a lot. Realistically, Georgian Dream should neither expect nor hope for much from Hungary because Orbán can’t do anything significant for them. Their only goal is to create an illusion that there are still some countries in the world that recognize their legitimacy.

In reality, they are in full international isolation and are trying to show that this isn’t the case, claiming there are a few countries that recognize them and others that don’t. But if we analyze the type of country Hungary is under Orbán’s leadership and if someone has even a little self-respect, they wouldn’t choose their first visits to be to Hungary, Azerbaijan, or the UAE," Rukhadze concluded.