Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze commented on the statement by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, who said that in talks with Moscow on Ukraine, Brussels would, among other things, raise the issue of the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territories of Georgia and Moldova.
“Everyone must be consistent in protecting our national interests. We should not limit ourselves to statements on specific issues. We must show through our actions that the European bureaucracy is on the side of the Georgian people,” Kobakhidze said.
According to the Prime Minister, all these years “the European bureaucracy was on the opposite side” and opposed the national interests of the Georgian people and Georgia. Kobakhidze added that Brussels must “show through its actions” whose side it is on:
“When it comes to protecting our national interests, other steps must follow, rather than artificially creating additional risks for the country in various directions.”
As a reminder, on the afternoon of May 28, on the sidelines of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Cyprus, Kaja Kallas stated that if concessions in the form of military restrictions are demanded from Ukraine, then similar restrictions should be mirrored for Russia. At the same time, the EU’s top diplomat emphasized that there are broader issues: “If we think about Russian troops in countries like Georgia and Moldova, it is also in the interest of European security that these troops are not there.”
According to Kallas, “of course, this is a maximalist approach.” At the same time, the EU foreign policy chief emphasized that Moscow’s approach so far has also consisted of putting forward maximalist demands.
Later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was asked to comment on the EU foreign policy chief’s words, to which he replied: “I do not discuss idiotic statements.”
It should be noted that there are no Russian military bases in the territories of Georgia and Moldova controlled by official Tbilisi and Chisinau. Nevertheless, Russian troops are stationed in the occupied territories of Georgia—Abkhazia and South Ossetia—as well as in the unrecognized Transnistrian republic.
