Georgian PM slams French draft resolution as “tragic situation”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has strongly criticised a draft resolution introduced in the French National Assembly targeting Georgia’s political direction and calling for sanctions against the country’s ruling elite.

Speaking on the matter, Kobakhidze described the initiative as a "tragic event, tragic situation" and claimed it reflects broader dysfunction within European institutions, Caliber.Az reports via Georgian media.

He argued that informal sanctions have already been imposed on former Prime Minister and ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili for three years, including frozen bank accounts, yet, in his words, "this has not prevented him from taking a single step against the interests of the state." 

Kobakhidze added that Ivanishvili "will not be concerned about this."

The French draft resolution, introduced in the National Assembly, expresses grave concerns over recent political developments in Georgia and calls for targeted sanctions. The document states that its aim is to "condemn the illiberal and authoritarian direction of the Georgian government and reaffirm support for Georgia’s European future.”

The resolution accuses the Georgian government of drifting away from democratic principles and straining its relationship with civil society. In its concluding section, the French draft calls on the government of France to coordinate with European partners in imposing “targeted individual sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili and his close allies” and to “tailor its supportive mechanisms to the needs of Georgian civic society.”

By Sabina Mammadli