PM: EU envoy threatens Georgia with civil war, poverty

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has sharply criticised comments made by the European Union’s ambassador to Georgia, describing them as “deeply troubling” and accusing the diplomat of interfering in the country’s internal affairs.

“The EU Ambassador openly threatening the Georgian people with civil war and a return to poverty is, of course, deeply troubling,” Kobakhidze told journalists, Caliber.Az reports per Georgian media.

The prime minister was referring to remarks by Pawel Herczyński, which he said were “grave in the extreme.”

“Mr Herczyński had also threatened the Georgian people ahead of the parliamentary elections, when he called on voters to go to the polls and return the collective United National Movement to power. Naturally, returning the collective National Movement to power would mean a return to the dark past we have already lived through, and that is not something the Georgian people want,” Kobakhidze said.

“It was nothing new, and yet a response was still deemed necessary, which is precisely why a diplomatic step was taken: the Ambassador was summoned, and the Foreign Minister heard his explanations in person. That is the diplomatic measure that needed to be taken in this matter,” he added.

The criticism follows remarks made by Herczyński at an event in Brussels hosted by the European External Action Service. During the event, the ambassador warned that Georgia faced a pivotal moment regarding its future direction.

“Georgia stands at a crossroads. Georgia’s future has not yet been written, but what is decided in the coming weeks and months will determine whether Georgia belongs to the family of European nations founded on democracy, the rule of law and human rights — or whether, regrettably, it returns to its dark past,” Herczyński said.

On April 27, Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili met with Herczyński at the Avlabari Residence following the controversy.

By Sabina Mammadli