"We must wait for the investigation by the relevant agencies, which will, of course, be followed by an appropriate response," the capital's mayor, Kakha Kaladze, stated regarding the suspected intoxication of children in Tbilisi's public kindergartens.

He emphasized that the health and safety of every child are of paramount importance. "First of all, I would like to wish the children good health. I fully understand the parents' concern, as we are parents ourselves, and every child is special to each of us. For me personally and for my team, caring for the children is a tremendous responsibility. It would be inappropriate for us to state categorically today that this issue was caused by food, or even to rule that possibility out entirely. We must await the investigation by the relevant authorities, which will, of course, be followed by appropriate action. We currently have over 60,000 children in our kindergartens. The specific number of children involved does not matter; their health and safety are of fundamental importance to us. Naturally, our stance would be the same even if a case involving just a single child had been reported. This demonstrates the immense responsibility we bear," stated Kakha Kaladze.

He further explained that numerous reforms have been implemented in Tbilisi’s public kindergartens in recent years to ensure the safety of the children in accordance with international standards.

"We implemented the HACCP standard in 2023; this is crucial, as it enables us to maintain full control over food products—from the manufacturer and supplier all the way to the end beneficiary. I state with full responsibility that we do not accept any product without inspection reports from a relevant, accredited laboratory. We do not accept any product unless the corresponding laboratory test results are provided. Furthermore, the National Food Agency conducts systematic product inspections. You can see the infrastructure projects that have been carried out in kindergartens for our children in recent years. Special attention is paid to nutrition and children's toys to ensure they are eco-friendly and meet international standards. Even the bedding receives special attention. Therefore, let us await the results to understand the situation. We are completely open and transparent, and we will provide full information to both parents and the public," the capital's mayor explained. He added that the State Procurement Agency announces the tender for kindergarten meals, while the municipality signs contracts with the winning companies.

"First, we need to determine the cause. Believe me, every detail will be made public. The State Procurement Agency announces the tender for meals, and contracts are signed with the winning companies. They are required to provide laboratory inspection reports for each product upon delivery. Let us await the investigation to identify where the problem lay and what caused it. We are not shying away from problems or responsibility. If anything was done incorrectly or a mistake was made on our part, there will, of course, be a very strict response. All of this will be made known to the public," the Mayor of the capital noted.