“I think the period starting now will be key because the third hearing is scheduled. The way the dates are chosen is also a bit provocative, I think, because it's all happening in the Easter period, when it should be a time of reunification and depolarization, and instead the opposite has happened.” During a meeting with ambassadors of EU member states, the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, referred to the statements made by the honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, on April 29 at a rally in support of the Russian Law on Agents as provocative.
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“Bidzina Ivanishvili’s speech was provocative against you and the population. The responsibility for what happens today, what will happen tomorrow, or the day after, rests with the country's government because they caused this chain of events.”
The President apologized to the ambassadors for verbal attacks on their countries by the authorities and told them that the citizens of Georgia remember well and appreciate the help of international partners: "You are the countries that have been supporting all kinds of development in this country, state institutions, economic and cultural infrastructure, and protection of Georgian identity for more than 30 years, for 33 years. All the programs implemented by your countries and your non-governmental or private organizations have been in the interest of Georgia."
Salome Zourabichvili also noted that there is room for provocation and violence against the constitution, which clearly states the direction and orientation of Georgia's foreign policy: The words that were clearly not repeated today at the conference of the Asian Development Bank, it seems that there is another course for Georgia. This is an attack on the constitution
when the whole country was united on the European path in granting candidate status in December, or when our football team qualified for the European Championship and out of the blue the Georgian authorities brought back a very provocative law on foreign agents for the second time,
as well as a series of laws that I have vetoed one after the other, which are contrary to the recommendations that we must implement if we want to see negotiations begin at the end of the year or soon after. So to do this was a provocation against people who were happy to see the door of the European Union opened, it was violence against people who have always perceived that the European Union was the best defender of our long-term security and also a defense against any further Russian imperialist attempts.”
The President addressed the ambassadors, stating that they have an important role in "demonstrating stability to the population of Georgia, showing that Georgia is not alone and continues to move towards European integration."
“My request is to make high-level visits during this period, until the end of May, after that I know that an important period for the Europeans is coming, which is related to the elections, the elections of the European Parliament,” Zourabichvili said.
Bidzina Ivanishvili said at the meeting held on April 29 that the opaque funding of NGOs is the main tool for appointing the government from outside. These funds have nothing to do with aid. On the contrary, the sole goal is to take away state sovereignty from Georgia.
