Georgian Gov't on Saakashvili’s Appointment as Deputy PM in Ukraine

Georgia’s ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is rumored to have been assigned the post of Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for Reform, has now started unofficial gatherings with members of the ruling Sluga Naroda political party, with the aim of convincing them to support his nomination to the inner circles of the Ukrainian government.

Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia commented on the President Zelensky's plan, saying that such a step would be followed by an appropriate reaction from Georgia.

"Ukrainian people are brothers to us. The Ukrainian state is our strategic partner and nothing can change this in the long run; however, the appointment of a person convicted and wanted in Georgia as a vice-premier by our partner is categorically unacceptable to us, as it is unacceptable personally to me to see the President of my country dragged out of a restaurant by police force. Of course, such a step will be followed by a relevant reaction from Georgia. We have not summoned the ambassador yet, but if such a decision is made, of course, we will at least summon the ambassador for consultations," Gakharia stated.

Georgia’s Speaker of the House Archil Talakvadze also remarked on the existing situation. “Despite the existing strategic partnership between Georgia and Ukraine, which has been gradually structured over the years through our people and our governments, despite all this, if this decision will be made, I think it will harm the present political cooperation between our countries, and these types of decisions will be unfathomable and unacceptable to us,” he said.

"I hope that no decision will be made that will cast a shadow over the friendship between our countries," Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said regarding the issue. 

By Beka Alexishvili