Opposition “Strong Georgia” Slams GD’s Stance on 3+3 Platform
On February 21, one of the leaders of the opposition coalition Strong Georgia, Grigol Gegelia, rebuked the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party’s response to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent statement on the 3+3 regional platform. Lavrov reiterated on February 19 that the format remains open to Georgia. First Vice Speaker of GD Parliament Gia Volski while commenting on the matter, stated that there are currently no circumstances that would justify Georgia’s participation in the platform, although he did not altogether rule out the possibility in the future.
The format, which brings together three regional powers – Iran, Turkey, and Russia – as well as two South Caucasus countries- Azerbaijan and Armenia, was established in 2021 and, despite its name, Georgia is not a member.
Responding to Lavrov’s remarks, Gegelia said that “in the last two days, Georgia was offered two different chairs – European [allegedly referring to the empty seat allotted for Georgia on the informal meeting of candidate country representatives in the EU] and Russian-Iranian.”Gegelia emphasized: “Taking the first [European] chair means to be a member in a civilized space, which guarantees peace, economic development, a rule-based world order, and the rule of law.”
He added that “taking the second [Russian-Iranian] chair means membership in a space characterized by chaos, low development, and violence. Which of these two chairs Georgia chooses is a choice that will determine our nation’s thousand-year history.”
Gegelia also accused the Georgian Dream government of “flirting” with Russia and failing to explicitly reject the 3+3 platform despite Russia’s continued occupation of 20% of Georgian territory. He claimed that the GD government is carrying out “a Russian special operation in Georgia against the interests of the Georgian nation,” adding that “the only way out of this situation is new parliamentary elections and a new legitimate government that will return this country to the space of prosperity, peace, and development.”
The statement comes amid Sergey Lavrov’s comment on February 19 regarding the 3+3 format, in which he said that they “understand Georgia’s doubts and nuances of its position’ for not participating in the platform.” However, he claimed that “a seat for Georgian representatives will always be available in the meeting hall of this format.”
On February 20, First Vice-Speaker of GD Parliament and GD MP Gia Volski commented on Lavrov’s recent statement, noting that while Georgia currently sees no justification for joining the 3+3 format, the possibility remains open for the future.
“The ongoing global processes will determine Georgia’s future position,” Volski told journalists in the GD Parliament. According to Volski, Georgia must ensure that its foreign policy course and political image are not “damaged” while also protecting its economic interests.
Moscow has repeatedly invited Tbilisi to join the platform since its inception. Recently, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov reiterated the calls for Georgia to join the platform. In October 2024, he said that “as soon as Tbilisi decides, they can come and sit in their chair at any time.”
Also Read:
- 01/11/2023 – Foreign Affairs Committee Chair: No 3+3 Participation without De-occupation
- 24/10/2023 – 3+3 Platform Calls for Georgia’s ‘Equal Participation’
- 14/01/2022 – Lavrov Hopes Baku, Ankara, Yerevan Can Convince Tbilisi on Joining 3+3
- 12/11/2021 – Russian MFA Notes Tbilisi’s ‘Contradictory Statements’ on 3+3 Platform
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)