In an interview with IPN, expert Nikoloz Metreveli explained his decision to participate in the “3+3” format event in St. Petersburg.
He pointed out that he is the first Georgian expert to publicly and directly tell Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin that as long as part of Georgia’s territory is occupied, the “3+3” format is unacceptable for Georgians.
“It doesn’t matter where you go; what matters is what you say and what position you voice. The trip itself is one thing, but the main thing is what you talk about there,” Metreveli said.
Therefore, he stressed, attempts to present his trip as a visit coordinated with the Georgian Dream party do not correspond to reality.
“I publicly voiced to Galuzin the principled position held by any Georgian, which is also defended by the Georgian authorities,” the analyst said.
Metreveli emphasized that he is a supporter of “Dream” and fully shares the party’s position. He stated at the forum that he was representing himself as an expert, not as a representative of official Tbilisi.
“Wherever I am, I protect the interests of Georgia,” the analyst said.
Nikoloz Metreveli emphasized that he is an ordinary citizen of Georgia and is not restricted in his travel, meaning he has the right to travel and does travel not only to the Russian Federation, but also to China, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and other countries.
“It doesn’t matter where you go; what matters is what you say there. That is exactly the position I voiced there. I am not interested in who says what. I want the public to know the truth about what exactly I said, and not just that I attended the event,” he explained.
The expert stressed that he was invited as an ordinary citizen and a Georgian expert.
“I have no communication with Georgian Dream regarding its political decisions. There were no contacts on this topic, nor could there have been. As for the content of the speech, I noted positive aspects of bilateral relations, including in the economy and tourism. This is extremely important. Russia is one of the key economic partners,” Metreveli said.
Metreveli believes that in St. Petersburg he did what he “had to do — protected the interests of his country.”
“For me, the main thing is to protect the interests of Georgia, no matter what country I am in,” Metreveli said.
As a reminder, the first expert meeting in the “3+3” format took place in St. Petersburg on June 5. This format is a platform involving Russia, Turkey, and Iran on one side, and Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia on the other.
On June 4, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia stated that the country would not participate in the “3+3” format meetings, just as in previous years.