“Mikheil Kavelashvili and Maka Bochorishvili rushed headlong to the Olympics in Milan just to somehow get a handshake photo — these are people obsessed with photos and greetings in order to gain recognition,” said the Chair of the United National Movement, Tina Bokuchava, while commenting on Mikheil Kavelashvili’s and Maka Bochorishvili’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance.

According to Bokuchava, this situation shows that Georgia is in complete isolation, because “the opportunity to shake hands at common forums is not diplomacy, it’s basic courtesy.”

“No one is holding bilateral meetings with them in the civilized world, and they rushed headlong to the Olympics in Milan just to somehow get a handshake photo. Do these people look independent? Do they look proud and sovereign? They are humiliated, isolated, backward people, obsessed with photos and greetings in order to gain recognition. Whatever my attitude toward this regime may be, this is extremely sad. For me, it is a great shame to see a representative of the government having to run around the world headlong just to catch someone at the Olympics for a photo. This indicates that under their rule this country is closed — it points to complete isolation, not the opposite,” Tina Bokuchava said.

Bokuchava also spoke on the program about possible opposition unity, noting that if at least part of the opposition manages to unite and thereby restores people’s hope for change and trust, that in itself would be an important achievement.

“Fighting autocracy is far more effective under conditions of unity. I hope that in the end some form of consolidation will still be possible — at least, I have not lost that hope. Zurab Japaridze constantly talks about this; Giorgi Vashadze has always supported unity as well. Some form of socio-political unification is needed — it should not be just another regrouping of the same old faces, nor merely a change of names. It must bring novelty, new energy, new hope, and restore trust with society. This requires time and effort. [Until now] everyone was captive. Those who are free, I would like them to approach the necessity of unity with greater responsibility. But if it truly does not work out, at some point we will probably need to set a mental final deadline. If at least part of us manage to unite and restore people’s hope for change and trust in political processes, that too will be a significant achievement. The United National Movement will do everything for this,” Tina Bokuchava said.