Irakli Alasania: Georgian Gazprom Deal Harms National Security
Free Democrats leader, Irakli Alasania, criticized the visit of PM Irakli Garibashvili to Azerbaijan.
“It's a shame that the head of the government of Georgia has to go to neighboring countries like a little boy in order to correct the things spoiled a few days earlier.” Alasania said.
Commenting on Georgia’s non-transparent negotiations with Russian energy giant Gazprom, Alasania said that “the steps taken by the government in terms of secret talks on energy issues and in particular on Gazprom, would naturally cause confusion and questions with strategic partners.”
According to Alasania, “it is a shame that [they] escalated relations with our strategic partner, Azerbaijan.”
Alasania believes there is little state interest behind the Gazprom deal, which “focuses on more politicized and expensive Russian gas. Therefore, this is another example of how this government harms our national security by its incompetence, imprudence and intended personal interests.”
Irakli Garibashvili visited Baku on October 10th after the Gazprom deal, to meet with the President of Azerbaijan to discuss bilateral relations and regional security.
The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, is set to visit Georgia on November 6th.