Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgian Prime Minister, attended the Fifth European Political Community Summit in Budapest (Hungary) on November 7. Ilia Darchiashvili, Georgia’s Foreign Minister and Levan Zhorzholiani, the Head of Government Administration were with him.
The first official visit of the head of the government abroad since the October 26, 2014 elections was not greeted with a warm welcome by most European leaders, despite widespread allegations of violations and calls to investigate them from both local and international actors.
* 06/11/2024: Georgia’s Elections – Death by Dozen Daggers
The summit was hosted by Viktor Orban as Hungary currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The event brought together leaders of around 40 countries. Participants included Charles Michel, President of European Council, Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola as President of European Parliament.
Sparse Meetings
“We will have the opportunity to discuss all those issues with the European leaders that are of course important in terms of Georgia-EU relationships.”
The Prime Minister only had three meetings. He met with Alain Berset as Secretary General of Council of Europe and Charles Michel as President of the European Council. Robert Fico was the Prime Minister of Slovak Republic.
According to a government press release, during the meeting with CoE Secretary General Alain Berset the issues of Georgia-CoE cooperation were discussed. The CoE’s efforts in helping Georgia on its European Integration path, as well issues of European Security and the situation on the occupied Georgian territory, was also discussed.
“We engaged in constructive discussion on current issues and prospects for future collaboration.” We are excited to strengthen our partnership with CoE, an international organization that plays an important role in fostering democracy and human rights throughout Europe and beyond,” reads PM Kobakhidze’s rather broad Twitter post after the meeting.
According to official reports, the meeting with Charles Michel was about Georgia-EU relationships and ongoing processes in Georgia. The official press release from the government administration states that “the Prime Minister stressed that the Government is committed to the country’s European integration and the support and fair approach of partners are of special importance in the process.” The press release also states that PM Kobakhidze reiterated the Georgian authorities’ readiness for “open and frank” discussions about the country’s ongoing processes.
Irakli Kobakhidze’s tweet emphasizes the need for an “open” dialogue between the Georgian authorities and the EU.
“…I reiterated my government’s commitment towards European integration, and stressed the importance of partner assistance and a fair process in this process. We also discussed recent developments in Georgia and I reiterated my willingness to engage in an open and sincere dialog,” Kobakhidze wrote on Twitter after the meeting.
Kobakhidze told journalists that he had a “very friendly” conversation with Michel. He said that he told Michel “the resistance is very hard-pressed to mobilize the people, that they do not have public support and that they lack resources.”
According to official reports, the counterparts did not congratulate PM Kobakhidze for the official victory of Georgian Dream at the elections.
The official press release from the Georgian government administration regarding the meeting with the radical right leader Robert Fico, of Slovakia, stated that Fico “congratulated Irakli Kobakhidze for the ruling party’s recent victory in the parliamentary elections.”
In the press release, it is stated that “attention was paid in the meeting to the positive dynamics in the development bilateral relations in a variety areas, and commitment was reaffirmed to further deepen this partnership.” It also states: “Prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze expressed his gratitude to his Slovak colleague for strongly supporting Georgia’s European and EuroAtlantic Integration. The Head of Government stressed that European integration was one of the top priorities in the country’s Foreign Policy, and the support from partners is of particular importance.
PM Irakli Kobakhidze has invited PM Robert Fico to visit Georgia.
“…We stressed the strong friendship bonds that have built a solid partnership over the years between Georgia and Slovakia. I expressed my sincere gratitude for Slovakia’s steadfast commitment to Georgia’s foreign policies, especially our aspirations to join the EU, which remain a top priority for government,” Irakli Kobakhidze tweet after the meeting.
Panel Discussions
During the summit, Irakli Kobakhidze took part in a panel discussion on economic connectivity and security.
According to an official press release from the Government Administration, he talked about sustainable economic growth, Georgia’s connectivity with the EU and ongoing and planned infrastructure such as the East-West Freeway, and the Anaklia Deep Sea Port. He also spoke of the importance of the Black Sea in terms of security.
According to the Government Administration’s announcement, Kobakhidze would also be delivering a speech at the Summit’s closing plenary, but no further information has been released.
Commentary on Media
Irakli Kobakhidze, the PM of Georgia, spoke to the media in Budapest. He was asked, among other things about the October 26th elections.
Praising Georgian Elections and Slamming Moldovan Elections
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Georgian PM, was asked by journalists in Georgia about the international partners’ assessment of the Georgian election, particularly given the concerns about electoral fraud. He praised again the October 26th elections and their results. “These elections decided, amongst other things, the future of the country in Europe,” Kobakhidze said.
He reiterated his plans to bring Georgia into the EU by the year 2030. “…by 2030, Georgia [among the other candidate countries] will be the most prepared to become a member state of the EU.”
When asked to comment on the fact that he had few meetings and did not receive any congratulations for GD’s win, unlike Moldovan Maia Sandu who was congratulated at the summit by most participants, Prime Minister Kobakhidze criticized Moldova’s recent referendum and elections.
PM Kobakhidze said that the secrecy surrounding the ballots was violated not in the Georgian elections but rather in the elections held in Moldova and the United States. “In Georgia, elections were conducted to the highest standards… Georgian elections were of a higher quality than those in Moldova and the United States,” he said.
He said there was a problem with “double standards” as well as “injustice”. He said that only 45 per cent of Moldovans supported EU integration and that Moldova is a CIS member, unlike Georgia. He also lamented the “clear injustice”, that there are different EU policies towards Georgia and Moldova.
He said that “some people” (who he did not identify) wanted to bring back the forces of the former government.
The anti-LGBT legislation and the Foreign Agents Law need “concrete arguments”
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Georgian PM, also responded to Western leaders’ requests that the Foreign Agents Law be repealed and the anti-LGBT laws be repealed.
“If someone has a problem with the [anti LGBT] legislation, they should tell us what they don’t want, which article and what norm,” Kobakhidze said. After reiterating Georgia must ensure “a man is man and a women is woman,” the Prime Minister said. He called the legislation in some EU countries that allows gender changes to documents “total uglyness” that he believes Georgia needs to stop.
He repeated his need for concrete reasons why the law should not be repealed. He claimed that the law was merely about transparency.
Georgia-Ukraine Relations
The absence of contact between the Ukrainian delegation and the Georgian delegation during the summit was especially noticeable.
Mtavari TV, a TV with a strong oppositional bent, took advantage of the opportunity to speak to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the summit. He told Mtavari, “it’s unfortunate [that] we don’t currently have any connections with the Georgian Government.”
Irakli Kobakhidze said that he “greeted”, but did not discuss with the Ukrainian President.
Absent Leader
Salome Zurabishvili spoke to the EU leaders at the summit via phone, even though she was speaking from the Orbeliani Palace, Tbilisi.
The President’s Administration reported on November 6 that President Zurabishvili had spoken with the Presidents of the European Council Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen before the start of the Summit. He also spoke to the Presidents of Poland Andrzej duda, Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Latvia Edgars Rinkevics, Estonia Alar Karis, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo of Belgium, and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden.
The contents of the discussion were not disclosed.
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