Alexi (Buka) Petriashvili, former Minister of State for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration in the ruling Georgian Dream government in 2012-2014, has officially joined the opposition Droa party, an ally of Girchi-More Freedom party.
“I believe that today the decisive struggle is taking place in the political arena. We must all stand together in this struggle,” Petriashvili said at the June 17 Droa-Girchi More Freedom alliance briefing of the Droa-Girchi More Freedom alliance, with the participation of Elene Khoshtaria, leader of Droa, and Zurab Japaridze, leader of Girchi-More Freedom. He stressed the importance of unity in struggle to bring Georgia back to the European and Euro-Atlantic integration course, to change the government through the October 26 elections and to carry out the necessary reforms.
Until now, Alexi Petriashvili was a Senior Fellow at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (Rondeli Foundation), but as the crucial elections approach, he said he has decided to move from academic work to politics. In 2004-2009, Alexi Petriashvili served as Georgia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. He has over 25 years of diplomatic experience.
“I am very happy that a person like Buka- a fighter, principled, experienced, knowledgeable, dedicated to the European agenda, provider of very concrete results for this country, has joined our team… and what is most important, in the main struggle in which we are all together, which is bringing Georgia back to the European bosom,” said Elene Khoshtaria.
“I think that Buka’s many years of experience in the European integration work of this country is very important,” said Zurab Japaridze.
Alexi Petriashvili participated in the recent popular protests against the foreign agents law. On April 28, during one of the protests, he was detained by police on administrative charges of petty hooliganism and resisting police.
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