We heard quite an interesting message from the Croatian president - he confirmed the argument we have long been making: labeling our government as a Russian government serving Russian interests is false, - this was stated by Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chairman of the Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee, while commenting to journalists on the statement by Croatian President Zoran Milanović.

According to Samkharadze, Milanović confirmed that the labeling of Georgia’s government stems from narrow political interests.

“The visit of the Croatian president is of great significance for bilateral relations, but it is also important in the context of Georgia-EU relations, given that Croatia is an EU member. We heard quite an interesting message from the Croatian president. He confirmed the argument we have been making for a long time: labeling our government as a Russian government serving Russian interests is false and done for specific political purposes. He openly stated that the main goal of his visit is to express solidarity with Georgia and the Georgian people because it is unimaginable for him that a country and a government with no diplomatic relations with Russia, and whose territories are occupied by Russia, could be pro-Russian and receive the support of its people. In other words, everything we have been saying for a long time about the labeling being politically motivated was confirmed by President Milanović.

It was also important that he expressed outrage at the fact that foreign foreign ministers came to support opposition rallies in Georgia ahead of elections, which he considered unacceptable. He emphasized that the EU was not created to interfere in other countries’ affairs or elections.

Another important message was that many countries have no claims against Georgia but struggle to express their positions due to the Brussels bureaucracy. These messages are not new to us, but it is important that the Croatian president spoke openly about them,” - stated Nikoloz Samkharadze.

For reference, during his visit to Georgia, Croatian President Zoran Milanović, at a joint briefing with Mikheil Kavelashvili, stated that “barriers are being created for Georgia, the country is placed in a moral dilemma, and accused of being a Moscow agent - this is moral blackmail, they are blackmailing the country, trying to twist its hands.”