Georgian Prime Minister Kobakhidze refuses to call Russia enemy

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze refused to describe Russia as an enemy.

“You want to get headlines, including in the Russian media, saying that I declare the Russian Federation to be an enemy. This is a specific political statement, which must then be followed by actions,” Kobakhidze told journalists in response to a question about whether Russia is an enemy.

He called journalists who ask such questions disgraceful and described opposition media outlets as one of the branches of a foreign agent network.

A recent flashpoint in the relationship came as Georgia marked the 18th anniversary of the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, with Georgian authorities and opposition figures clashing over responsibility for the conflict.

At the same time, the EU has accused Russia of deepening its military and political integration of the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, including through a new cooperation agreement with South Ossetia and the development of the Ochamchire port as a Russian Black Sea Fleet foothold.

By Jeyhun Aghazada