UNM Slams Ivanishvili’s Eurasian Union Remarks
UNM lawmaker, Giorgi Gabashvili, condemned PM Ivanishvili’s remarks on Russia-initiated Eurasian Union as “disastrous” and “complete reversal” in country’s foreign policy priorities.
“This is a really disastrous statement in his capacity of the Prime Minister. The Georgian population has voiced unambiguously in the [2008] referendum that Georgia should become the NATO member. This Parliament passed a bipartisan document which clearly declares foreign policy orientation – that is EU and NATO. Speaking, even theoretically, about Georgia joining this Putin-initiated union is a disaster for Georgia and represents a complete reversal from the path chosen with broad consensus by the Georgian political spectrum,” MP Gabashvili said at the parliamentary session on September 4.
MP Gabashvili also said: “I hope the Prime Minister lied and I hope the Georgian government in fact is not studying this option; I hope it was yet another coquetry towards Russia and it’s not a serious political intention.”
Referring to these latter remarks, parliament speaker Davit Usupashvili responded that MP Gabashvili was “right” and added: “Yes, that is the case.”
Asked during a press conference on September 4 what he thinks about the Eurasian Union, PM Ivanishvili said: “I am looking at it with attention and we are studying it. At this stage we have no position at all. If in perspective we see that it is interesting for the strategy of our country, then why not; but at this stage we have no position.”
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