The Georgian president turned to Ukraine because of the intention to appoint Mikheil Saakashvili as a deputy prime minister.
The statement of Salome Zurabishvili is published on the official website of the head of state. Although not a single name was called, it is not difficult to guess them.
Georgia and Ukraine are close strategic partners. Our cooperation is based on centuries-old friendship and respect between people, our common interests and aspirations. Nevertheless, our partner country is currently considering a candidate for a high political position, whom the court finds guilty in all three instances of Georgia, the president said in a statement.
Zurabishvili noted that in international relations it is unacceptable to interfere with the internal affairs and the personnel policy of another state, it is also unacceptable to “completely incomprehensible” elect a person to a public position whose “criminal actions are reflected not only in the sentence of the judicial authority of Georgia but also in the relevant decision European Court of Human Rights. Not to mention the fact that he is accused of serious corruption crimes.”
I don’t even imagine what kind of person can be so important that … because of which long-term relations between our states are at stake, our institutions are ignored, and our society is offended,” Zurabishvili concluded.
On April 22, Mikheil Saakashvili wrote on Facebook that he had received an offer from Vladimir Zelensky to become Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Reforms.
On April 24, the former president of Georgia and the ex-governor of Odessa met with the Servant of the People faction to present his plan for overcoming the crisis. However, Saakashvili’s candidacy for the parliament’s vote on that day was never submitted.
Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine Teimuraz Sharashenidze said on the same day that the appointment of Saakashvili would be seen in Tbilisi as an unfriendly move, as he was put on the international wanted list in his native country.