FM: Our main motive is peace and national interest

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili has stated that the British government’s decision to restrict Imedi TV and PosTV constitutes a direct attack on Georgian society. According to Botchorishvili, she did not hear any argument from the British Ambassador that would justify London’s decision.

“These are assessments that someone made based on something, correct? I did not hear any specific examples from the ambassador. For 40 minutes, I did not hear a single argument that would justify the decision made by London. I have read everything; I am fully informed. When you restrict Georgian television stations, this is a direct attack on Georgian society. Naturally, we cannot agree with this, just as we cannot agree with the claim that this decision contributes in any way to weakening Russia,” Botchorishvili said.

She added that she had asked the British Ambassador to present the evidence underlying the decision.

“I asked the ambassador all the relevant questions. I asked him to provide the evidence. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no other response mechanism. Our response is to ask the other side to present the grounds on which decisions affecting Georgian society are based,” Bochorishvili noted.

“What we could do, we did — we asked the ambassador to present the basis for this decision. He did not provide any factual material during the meeting. He may submit it to us in any form he chooses. This is the 21st century, and there are many ways to share such materials,” she added.

Botchorishvili also stated that Georgia has faced what she described as unfair treatment and emphasized that the government acts in the interests of the Georgian people.

“We are not talking about enforcement; we are talking about our reaction to the decision that was made. Unfortunately, we have seen many unfair attitudes toward Georgia, the Georgian government, Georgian society, and the Georgian people, who are so often referenced. The legitimate representative of the Georgian people is the Georgian government, and it acts in their interests. Our main motive and driving force is our country’s national interest. We are asking our partners: what contradiction is there between Georgia’s national interests and theirs? Our national interest has been clearly declared and is primarily related to peace and stability in our country. It is equally necessary and obligatory to comply with all articles of the Constitution. We will continue to work and communicate with the British side through various channels. We have an embassy in the United Kingdom, and there is a British embassy here as well. It is difficult to say at this stage what consequences this may have. We will wait and see whether the British side presents anything concrete,” she said.

For reference, the UK government has sanctioned the TV companies Imedi and PosTV. In connection with this decision, British Ambassador Gareth Ward was summoned to the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for explanations. The ambassador did not comment to the media either before entering or after leaving the Ministry.