Gia Khubua Addresses Hartzell to Confirm Correctness of German Amb’s Position

The President for Research at the Steinbeis University Berlin Gia Khubua publicly addresses EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell to confirm the correctness of German Ambassador Hubert Knirsch's position regarding Giorgi Rurua, the founder and shareholder of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV, saying that he is not mentioned in the March 8 Agreement on electoral system reform in the country. 

Khubua appeals to the EU Ambassador to "Put an end to the smear campaign against fellow co-facilitator and the Ambassador of the EU’s leading state, Mr. Knirsch."

"Dear Mr. Hartzell, I am writing to you as a Georgian cherishing his country’s full integration into the European family, as a lawyer who values the rule of law and a functioning constitutional order grounded in European traditions, as an expert specializing in philosophy of law who knows full well that, without justice, there is no democracy, and as a man whose life and career have been defined by the special relations between Georgia and Germany. My homeland—where I was born and raised, and for the benefit of which I have worked and struggled all my life—is Georgia. No stretch, however, my academic homeland is Germany which gave me a quality education, instilled into me European values, and convinced me once and for all of the superiority of the European lifestyle.

"I am presently residing in Germany, continuing my academic work at Steinbeis-Hochschule Berlin, and serving as the University’s President for Research (Prof. Dr., Präsident für Forschung der Steinbeis Hochschule Berlin). Needless to say, I am keeping a close watch on Georgia’s dynamic political processes full of emotions, tensions, and drama so typical of the Georgians. These processes must result in Georgia having a new, qualitatively advanced, supreme democratic standard in the form of a genuine European electoral system.

"Without exaggeration, given extreme polarization and a lack of a record of political agreements, the March 8, 2020 agreement, one presently under implementation, would have been impossible without the Herculean efforts of the diplomats facilitating this political dialogue. I am proud that—next to you, Mister Hartzell, and US Ambassador, Ms. Kelly Degnan—German Ambassador to Georgia, Mr. Hubert Knirsch, has made a tremendous contribution to the achievement of this historic agreement.

"As you know, Germany played a decisive historical role in the establishment of the Independent Republic of Georgia back in the early 20th century, also standing by the Georgian state and people after the regaining of independence. The Georgian people see it and appreciate it, and therefore respect Germany as a state and the Germans as a friendly nation.

"In light of the foregoing, I have appalled by the categorically unacceptable and insulting statements hurled against Mr. Knirsch by certain representatives of the Georgian opposition forces—with the only pretext for these insults being that the Ambassador, known for his honesty, absolutely clearly and unequivocally voiced what had been numerously stated, albeit not as categorically, by every single facilitator of the March 8 agreement, including you and the US Ambassador.

"Unfortunately, some opposition leaders as parties to this agreement have failed to show enough political maturity and state-oriented thinking in carrying out a totally deplorable attack on Mr. Knirsch just because they feel uncomfortable about the truth known to all of Georgia in the first place, the truth only reaffirmed in the Ambassador’s statement—in particular, that the March 8 agreement does not and cannot include certain individuals as one of the conditions.

"In light of the foregoing, I am confident that you, as one of the facilitators of these negotiations, and as the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, feel doubly obligated to put an end to the smear campaign against your fellow co-facilitator and the Ambassador of the EU’s leading state, Mr. Knirsch.

"That is why I take the liberty of addressing you with a request to make a follow-up public statement on the March 8 agreement and clearly testify to the correctness of the German Ambassador’s statement. I am convinced that the Georgian media and, more importantly, Georgian society will take an interest in this issue anyway. Consequently, you too will be asked to answer questions, and these questions can not go unanswered.

"I strongly believe that this step on your part will put a swift end to the smear campaign used by a part of the opposition against your colleague and a highly reputable person, Mr. Knirsch. This way, you will leave them no room for maneuver to sabotage the agreement and will once again provide effective assistance for finalizing the constitutional amendments that are of vital importance to my country," he wrote on Facebook.

On June 26, Hubert Knirsch, one of the facilitators of the political dialogue between the Georgian government and the opposition, stated that Giorgi Rurua's release was not mentioned in the March 8 Agreement.

"Mr. Rurua is not mentioned in the March 8 Agreement, it is clear and everybody can read it. I am surprised that he became an issue of discussion among the parties," the Ambassador told journalists. 

Related Story: German Ambassador: Mr. Rurua is not Mentioned in the March 8 Agreement