“We have heard a disturbing statement from Maria Zakharova [the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson] that Russia is working confidentially to move the Geneva International Discussions format to a ‘neutral territory’ — we immediately demand that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia publicly state whether it is participating in these ‘confidential’ negotiations,” reads a statement by the “Gakharia – For Georgia” party.
“For several months now, the Georgian side has been concealing the content of meetings within the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM), as well as the Geneva format negotiations. Meanwhile, information periodically appears in news agencies controlled by the occupying Russian Federation, containing alarming reports regarding Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
We consider the dynamics of the ‘Georgian Dream’ party’s dangerous policy regarding the occupied territories to be alarming, as it harms national interests, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. This policy began with apologies offered to the occupiers by Bidzina Ivanishvili, the de facto recognition of Georgia as the aggressor in the 2008 war, and the initiation of criminal prosecution against the former Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia.
He is being tried for defending Georgian territory and attempting to stop the ‘creeping occupation’ by establishing a police post in the village of Chorchana, while the ‘Georgian Dream’ government uses the rhetoric and ‘arguments’ of the Russian occupation regime in Tskhinvali.
We remind that the Geneva format is an international mechanism established after the 2008 war, within which the OSCE, UN, EU, and the United States facilitate the protection of Georgia’s national and sovereign interests. The ‘neutral environment’ mentioned by Russia is an environment where Georgia’s sovereignty would no longer be protected by the international Western ‘umbrella,’ which effectively means the liquidation of this format.
It is evident that the Russian Federation, which possesses powerful international political, military, informational, and economic levers, is currently conducting an active and large-scale offensive against Georgia’s territorial integrity and national interests. In this regard, a clear answer must be given to the question: where does the ‘Georgian Dream’ government stand today — is it defending Georgia’s national interests, or is it an ally of the Russian state in attacking our sovereignty?” the statement reads.
