Tbilisi Mayor: Congressmen Letters Go Beyond our Friendly Relationship
"The statements we hear by American congressmen go beyond our friendly relationship. Such tone and statements are absolutely unacceptable," Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze told journalists while commenting on a series of critical letters from US Congressmen.
As Kaladze pointed out, strategic partner legislators "should not have spoken to their friend country like that".
His statement refers to the open letters recently sent by American congressmen, in which they criticize the Georgian government and express concern over the current situation in the country in terms of politics, economics, and democracy. In particular, Tbilisi Mayor responded to the letters sent by Adam Kinzinger and Gerald E. Connolly, Co-Chairs of the U.S. Congressional Georgia Caucus and the joint letter sent by four Congressmen, together with the letter by Congressman Mullin, which also mention the dispute between the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation and the US-based company Frontera Resources.
“You know that America is our strategic partner country, so strategic partner legislators should not talk to their friend country like that. Especially when it comes to one company of dubious reputation. This problem even existed when I was a minister and I know very well what this company is. I mean Frontera. We have started the arbitration process and I am sure they are well aware that they will definitely lose the case, so they have strengthened their lobbying. However, we will certainly defend the state interests of our country as well as our companies when we are right. That is exactly why it is a matter of arbitration, it is discussed and I am sure the Oil and Gas Corporation will win this dispute. Such tone and statements are absolutely unacceptable,” Tbilisi Mayor said.
In addition to the recent critical letters sent by American congressmen, on January 28, congressman Pete Olson also criticized the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Bidzina Ivanishvili over the company Frontera Resources.
Olson in his remarks made in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday compared Ivanishvili to Oscar the Grouch and said: “they’re both puppets who’ve trashed their homes.”
The congressman said, “Vladimir Putin’s puppet has attacked foreign investment in Georgia and crushed basic human rights.”
“Coming from Texas, Frontera Resources has been drilling in Georgia for years and years and years. They’ve created great jobs in America, great jobs in Georgia. They’ve created freedom…. Now they are drilling zero wealth in Georgia. Of course, Vladimir Putin is happy to control Georgia’s oil. This puppet oligarch Ivanishvili is getting rich off the backs of the Georgian people. It’s time to wake up… Protesters in Georgia need our support. Join me in raising our voices for freedom in Georgia,” Olson concluded.
In turn, the Ruling Party Georgian Dream members' common position is that US congressmen "are not properly informed, have one-sided information about recent developments in the country, so they will inform them on their arguments regarding open letters during regular meetings scheduled for February."
As the Chairman of the Parliament Archil Talakvadze stated yesterday, "the government is ready to answer all the questions that the congressmen asked in their letters."
By Ana Dumbadze
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