The Daily Beat: 6 June
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag, Michael Roth, is on a visit to Georgia, holding meetings with the President, Salome Zurabishvili, the Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, the Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili and the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Nikoloz Samkharadze. According to media reports, the country’s EU prospects and implementation of the 12 EU conditions topped the senior German lawmaker’s meeting agenda in Tbilisi. During the press conference, Michael Roth supported Georgia’s aspirations to join the EU, stating that “without Georgia, the EU is not complete.” He also highlighted the utmost importance of the core EU values, such as the protection of civil society and respect for LGBTQI rights. He called upon the government not to miss this momentum and accomplish all the necessary reforms in due time. As part of his visit, Michael Roth held discussions with civil society representatives and is set to meet with the opposition.
Another Bundestag lawmaker and the Federal Foreign Office’s coordinator for inter-societal cooperation with South Caucasus, Moldova, and Central Asia, Robin Wagner, is also in Tbilisi, where he met with the Chairmen of the parliamentary Foreign Relations and Legal Affairs Committees, Nikoloz Samkharadze and Anri Okhanashvili. According to the parliament’s press office, German and Georgian lawmakers discussed the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the country’s importance as a transit corridor between the Central Asian and European regions, and the EU integration process. Wagener underlined Georgia’s reliability as an EU partner, expressing Germany’s support for its EU candidacy, parliament reported.
President Salome Zurabishvili condemned the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnipro River, labeling it as another severe war crime committed by Russia. “Horrible attack on civilian infrastructure once again shows Russia’s brutal tactics,” Zurabishvili wrote on Twitter, adding that “all of Georgia stands with Ukraine.” No official statements were made on the part of the prime minister nor from the foreign ministry.
Busy overseeing infrastructure projects in Kutaisi, Prime Minister Garibashvili took some time to speak to reporters, commenting on the recent arrests of civic activists, the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, the Moldova trip, and an upcoming meeting with the German Chancellor. “You imagine how little I care about this,” the prime minister commented on the arrests of civic activists, describing the arrests as provocations. At the same time, he did not appear to be much outraged by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine, saying that Kakhovka HPP is not a surprise since this brutal war destroyed 20% of Ukraine. PM Garibashvili also confirmed reports that he plans to visit Germany at the invitation of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
