Kaladze: I'd Expel EU Ambassador If I Could

Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and General Secretary of Georgian Dream, stated that European Union Ambassador Paweł Herczyński "should be expelled from the country" and that if it were up to him, he would expel him.

Today, journalists read Kaladze an excerpt from the diplomat's interview, where Paweł Herczyński stated that stopping repression, releasing unjustly detained individuals, and repealing repressive legislation would be a "good step for Georgia to return to the EU path."

"Are you going to release the prisoners of conscience?" Kaladze was asked, to which he replied:

"The greatest misfortune is what we're hearing from the European Union Ambassador, echoing what we heard during the election process. I'm unsure when he made this particular statement. But, if you ask me, he should be expelled from the country if an EU Ambassador makes such remarks when you have actual criminals. This is, of course, a continuation of the policy we observe toward Georgia. I have nothing against the EU Ambassador; he's a normal person, but he's using his status to cause harm. Clearly, he's fulfilling an assignment, vocalizing what he's told. All the misfortune happening in the country originates from the Western bureaucracy, with their funding, their support, and their financial capabilities. Russia is a separate issue," said Kakha Kaladze.

The General Secretary of Georgian Dream was also asked if they planned to put the issue of the EU Ambassador's expulsion on the agenda. Kakha Kaladze said that he had expressed his attitude and vision. "If it were up to me, of course, I would expel him," Kaladze added.

On July 18, EU Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński told Interpressnews that stopping repression, releasing unjustly detained individuals, repealing repressive legislation, and ensuring open dialogue are the only way to resolve the current crisis and for Georgia to return to the EU path.

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