Burjanadze Denies Row with Okruashvili

Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze dismissed media speculations about disagreements between her and Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili and said that the rumors about a “hidden war” between them are groundless.

Speculations emerged after Nino Burjanadze apologized to Russia for a statement made by Okruashvili regarding Russia’s “low-level consumer market” where even “feces” can be sold. Okruashvili said on May 4 that it is up to the Parliamentary Chairperson to decide whether to apologize or not, “as for me I will apologize only after Abkhazia and South Ossetia are reincorporated.”

“Different views over certain issues should not be described as a confrontation. Today, some very strange articles appeared in the press about an alleged confrontation between me and the Defense Minister. There is nothing of this kind in reality and these [speculations] are groundless,” Burjanadze said.

She also said that she has “good” relations with Okruashvili.