GD’s Machavariani: Entering Russia was not problem after occupation of our territories—why is it unacceptable only after war in Ukraine?

Maintaining a normal attitude toward Russia was clearly a “directive” in the case of the “agent opposition” and NGOs affiliated with them, while in the case of cultural figures, it is sometimes a directive and sometimes simply following a trend, Georgian parliamentary majority member Levan Machavariani wrote on social media.

Machavariani said that neither following a directive nor following a trend could be considered healthy.

“It is regrettable that following Russia’s invasion of our country, the ‘agent opposition,’ their affiliated NGO sector, and some representatives of the cultural sphere maintained a normal attitude toward Russia, and that this attitude changed sharply only after Russia carried out similar actions against Ukraine.

“In the case of the ‘agent opposition’ and their affiliated NGOs, this is clearly a matter of a directive, while among cultural figures, in some cases it is a directive and in others simply following a trend. However, to put it mildly, neither is healthy,” Machavariani wrote.

At the same time, Machavariani expressed respect for the artistic work of the Sukhishvili ensemble, describing it as an integral part of Georgia’s identity due to its significant contribution to the country’s culture.

“I would first and foremost like to express my respect for the stage work of the Sukhishvili ensemble. Through its enormous contribution to our culture, the ensemble has become an integral part of our identity through its artistic work.

“However, when traveling to Russia was not considered a problem after the occupation of our country’s territories, and only became unacceptable following the developments in Ukraine, a legitimate question arises — is this a directive or simply following a trend?” Machavariani wrote.