In 2008, following Russia’s occupation of Georgian territories and its recognition of Abkhazia and “South Ossetia” as independent states, the “National Movement” not only failed to pursue a tough policy toward Russia, but shortly after the end of the war, the regime’s leader personally met Russian citizens at the border and invited them to Georgia for tourism and business, wrote Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Chairman of “Georgian Dream,” on social media.
According to Kobakhidze, “the people who are today’s main ‘Russophobes’ welcomed Russian tourists, Russian money, and the deepening of economic and cultural ties between the countries in Georgia shortly after the August war.”
“I would like to remind you that neither the representatives of the ‘National Movement’ regime nor their followers expressed any protest against this policy at the time. Moreover, we all remember how today’s main ‘Russophobes’—Elene Khoshtaria, Zurab Japaridze, Misha Mshvildadze, and others—welcomed Russian tourists to Georgia, as well as Russian money, which back then ‘didn’t smell’, and the deepening of trade, economic, and cultural ties with Russia. I remind you that all of this was happening after Russia had already recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and diplomatic relations between the two countries had been severed.
The fact is that these political forces, their affiliated non-governmental organizations, and other active followers—who have formed an externally controlled agent network, a unified radical force that has repeatedly proven that in Georgia they are solely engaged in serving the interests of foreign powers—did not bother with anti-Russian rhetoric in 2008–2012. The Georgian agent network adopted a radical anti-Russian stance only after Russia invaded Ukraine for the second time. It is obvious that the global party of war needed the scale of the current conflict specifically to drag Europe into the war and stoke Russophobia among its agents worldwide, including at the highest level in Georgia,” Kobakhidze stated.
According to him, questions must certainly be asked in Georgia of the agents carrying out the orders of external forces so that society can discuss the aforementioned points.
“I think the issue I am discussing now needs no further explanation for the majority of Georgia’s population. The overwhelming majority of our country’s population are sincere patriots, which is clearly reflected in their demand to the authorities to protect peace, state sovereignty, and national values at all costs.
However, I believe a question must certainly be raised for society to discuss. We all know that both in the past and today, agents in Georgia act according to instructions from external forces, and their homeland is not Georgia, but the ‘deep state’. Against this backdrop, it is interesting why they were not instructed to engage in Russophobia when there was the most acute reason for it—namely, after the August 2008 war—and why they were instructed to promote Russophobia now, when the victim of Russian aggression was not their formal homeland, but another, albeit friendly, country? I think society will easily find a logical explanation for this illogic,” stated Irakli Kobakhidze.
