According to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, the statement of the US Embassy, ​​which expresses concern over the creation of the "Department for Combating Hate Speech", is completely incomprehensible.

As Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists, the US Embassy, ​​under the previous administration, was one of the main ones who artificially tried to incite hatred and propagate lies in Georgia.

“As for the embassy’s statement, it is absolutely incomprehensible to me, especially considering that the US Embassy, ​​under the previous administration, was one of the main ones trying to artificially incite hatred and propagate lies in Georgia. Unfortunately, these processes were coordinated. Therefore, I will say once again that this embassy’s statement is incomprehensible to me, although it is their business. We must do everything to prevent the spread of hatred in Georgian society. As for Georgian-American relations, we are in a waiting mode and continue to maintain optimism regarding all of this. Our desire is to restore the strategic partnership and we will patiently wait for the American side’s accommodating position,” Kobakhidze said.

For information, the US Embassy in Georgia responded to a question from Radio Liberty regarding the arrests of citizens for insulting politicians on social media and the newly created “hate speech unit” by saying that it was “concerned about the creation of this unit.”

“The best response to lies and misinformation is more freedom of speech, not enforced silence,” the embassy told Radio Liberty.