PM Gakharia: Georgia Has its Eye on Developments in the Region

Ten days into the new decade, and 2020 has already brought unrest to the world population. Up until this Wednesday, when US President Trump announced a de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East after no US troops were harmed during the Iranian missile strikes on bases in Iraq, World War III memes were trending on the different platforms of social media. Given Georgia’s geographical placement on the world map, the country has been holding its breath. PM Gakharia announced Thursday morning that the Georgian government is watching attentively the developments in the region and is working closely with its international partners to analyse the political climate.

The Prime Minister’s statement came one day after he met with US Chargé d’Affaires Elizabeth Rood. The meeting was held to discuss the ongoing developments in the Middle East and the security issues that might follow the conflict. Additionally, the sides highlighted the achievements and future plans of US-Georgia bilateral cooperation.

The meeting was attended by Liz Zentos, Head of the Political-Economic Department of the US Embassy, and Irakli Chikovani, the PM’s Advisor in International Relations Affairs.

On January 9, before the government meeting, the PM made a statement about the recent developments in the region, reporting that the Georgian government is in synch with its international partners and together they are closely watching the current situation in the Middle East and Caucasus.

"In recent days, our attention has been focused on the tension that has been developing in the Middle East. We have been in close contact with our international partners since the very first day, and we have been closely monitoring developments together with them,” said PM Gakharia.

He went on to underline the importance of diplomatically dealing with threatening political conflicts, in doing so standing with other leaders who have called on the US and Iran to de-escalate.

“Of course, we can say that peaceful negotiations and active diplomacy have no alternative, since any kind of tension is a huge problem for the region both in terms of security and economic development,” Gakharia said.

The Prime Minister informed society that all relevant government agencies are in talks with international partners and are working closely to have the situation appropriately analysed. In his remarks, PM Gakharia also focused on the safety of the Georgian citizens who are near the conflict zone.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed, through its representation, consulates and embassies, to provide full support to any Georgian citizen who may be in a tension zone today,” he announced.

President Trump’s remarks to the media on January 8 brought some peace to the 2020 picture as the US leader announced that, for the moment, he had decided to take the off-ramp, and not make any more violent moves against Iran.

By Nini Dakhundaridze

Image source: for.ge