"Exchange of Curtseys" between Russian Politician and Ruling Party of Georgia Provoked a Scandal

Scandalous statements of Russian MP Sergei Gavrilov, who praised the Georgian authorities for not supporting Ukraine, and the reaction of the Georgian ruling party leader have outraged Georgian opposition and official Kyiv.

As "Novosti-Gruzia" reports, Russian MP Sergei Gavrilov, whose appearance in the Georgian parliament once led to large-scale protests, praised the Georgian government for its stance on Russia's aggression against Ukraine and suggested that Tbilisi and Moscow develop economic ties and renew diplomatic relations, which have been severed since 2008.

"Given Georgia's independent position on the Ukrainian issue and its attitude to the sanctions war unleashed against Russia, it is necessary to restore not only air communication but also full-fledged diplomatic relations between our countries," Gavrilov said in an interview with Russian mass media.

He points out that this would let further improve trade between Georgia and Russia, which increased by 50% in 2022, as well as work on tourism between the countries. He also called to increase the number of airlines and flights between Russia and Georgia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a few days earlier that he respected the Georgian government "for its courage" in resisting Western pressure.

Prime Minister of Georgia Iraklii Garibashvili is in Davos and has not commented on these statements, neither has President Salome Zourabichvili.

The leader of "Georgian Dream" Iraklii Kobakhidze likes the idea of resuming air communication - "in the interests of Georgians living in Russia." He said that it is more important to protect the national interests for the ruling party than a reaction of the "North, West, South or the East." He also repeated his thesis that "the global war party is trying to open a second front in Georgia".

However, Kobakhidze still hopes that Georgia will be granted EU candidacy in 2023 and that the country is allegedly significantly ahead of Ukraine and Moldova in terms of reforms, and "no one helped it fill out the questionnaire."

His words outraged the opposition, which declared that the authorities played on Russia's side and did everything to stop Georgia from obtaining EU candidacy. The leader of the largest opposition force "United National Movement" Nika Melia called the "Georgian dream" the "Russian dream", which turns the country into a Russian province.

Oleh Nikolenko, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, has also reacted. He points out that Moscow and Tbilisi "exchange curtseys" not only despite Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine, but also the ongoing occupation of par of Georgian territories.

"We also believe that such pro-Russian rhetoric does not correspond to the spirit of friendly and strategic relations between Ukraine and Georgia and contradicts Georgia's course for EU membership. Ukraine - both the government and the people - has always stood side by side with Georgia, especially in one of the most difficult times of its history. The lack of solidarity with Ukraine from some Georgian politicians given Russia's efforts to destroy Ukrainians in a genocidal war is political villainy," Oleg Nikolenko said.

Russian communist MP Sergei Gavrilov is known in Georgia because his appearance in the country's parliament in 2019 provoked protests and riots. The little-known "Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy" which he headed, organised a meeting in the parliament building. According to the rules of the assembly, its chairman had to lead the meeting from the place of the parliament president of the host country - Georgia. The opposition and citizens were outraged by the fact that a Russian who supported the occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was in the parliament president's chair. This led to large-scale protests, known as "Gavrilov's night", and the resignation of Kobakhidze from the post of the parliament president.