Georgian PM: Finland’s FM tasked with encouraging revolutionary process in Georgia, mission doomed to failure

“Finland’s Foreign Minister has been given the task of encouraging a revolutionary process in Georgia, something doomed to failure from the outset, but that’s the assignment she’s been given,” Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated in an interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster.

According to the Head of Government, the most tragic aspect is that European bureaucracy has sunk to the level of Baia Pataraia [civil activist, founder of Sapari].

“Just like Baia Pataraia, this lady, too, receives her assignments. There’s absolutely no difference. This is the most tragic thing in the EU space today: that European bureaucracy has descended to the level of Baia Pataraia. That’s what’s truly tragic. Whatever orders they’re given, that’s what they do. Didn’t this person screw up? She joined an unlawful rally of 50 people. She had to resort to lies, claiming that people were gathering and that Finnish flags were flying about. She spoke utter nonsense. It’s a level lower than Baia Pataraia. Lower than Salome Zourabichvili. This is the true face that European bureaucracy is showing us. There’s no other explanation. They know everything perfectly well, but they receive some assignment and must carry it out,” Irakli Kobakhidze declared.

“There are foreign agents within European bureaucracy, just as Baia Pataraia is in Georgia,” Irakli Kobakhidze went on to say.

According to the Head of Government, yesterday, Finland’s Foreign Minister met with Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, during which all topics were discussed, and the Finnish FM had the opportunity to receive answers to questions on a wide range of issues.

“Two meetings with Finland’s Foreign Minister were scheduled; yesterday with the Foreign Minister and today with me. Yesterday’s meeting with the Foreign Minister took place, during which all topics were discussed, and she had the opportunity to receive answers to questions on a wide range of issues. Among other things, after that meeting, she could have formed a clear picture of how many people might attend the illegal rally in the evening. She could also have gained insight into the nature of the protest. But what’s the point? When individuals are given assignments, they hold the same status, the true status, as Baia Pataraia does in Georgia, for example. There is no difference whatsoever. There are foreign agents operating within European bureaucracy, just as Baia Pataraia is within Georgia, to give you the most obvious example.

So there’s no point. Maka Botchorishvili spoke to her, but no matter what you say, in the evening she went to join the rally as the 51st ‘Akatsuki’. If she had any questions or was genuinely interested in anything, she should have attended our meeting, and we would have had a proper discussion. But this is the Soviet approach we’re discussing: no meetings, no dialogue, no healthy debate. Instead, she chooses to attend an illegal gathering as the 51st participant. This is the Soviet way of doing things, and in such moments, it becomes clear that conversation is utterly futile,” stated Irakli Kobakhidze.

“There were 50 oddballs gathered on Rustaveli Avenue, and Finland’s Foreign Minister turned up at that gathering as the 51st, which is unimaginable,” the Prime Minister went on to say, adding it speaks volumes to the extremely dire state of affairs within European bureaucracy.

“We never seek confrontation. We are an independent yet small country, and as such, we must consider many factors. It is not in our interests to provoke or intensify confrontation with the EU or its member states. However, at times, the same issues that occurred yesterday and today arise,” Kobakhidze observed.

According to him, by participating in an unlawful gathering, Finland’s Foreign Minister herself created the grounds for cancelling the meeting that had been scheduled for today.

“You saw for yourselves that we had a meeting scheduled as normal with Finland’s FM, who also holds the position of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. The meeting was planned, and we were expecting her. We would have discussed all topics; if she had questions, those questions would have been answered. However, everything changed yesterday evening.

In reality, this lady attended an unauthorised rally. The street was blocked. There’s no question of violence. Violence is only one reason to deem a gathering illegal; the second is outlined in the law, which permits participants to block a road only if the number of attendees makes such a measure feasible. Yesterday, you saw that only 50 people had gathered. They blocked the street illegally, and Finland’s Foreign Minister joined this illegal gathering as the 51st person. She knew the gathering was unlawful and nevertheless decided to go to this illegal assembly,” Kobakhidze stated.

According to the Prime Minister, Finland’s FM also told a lie, claiming the rally had just started.

“This morning, she added a second lie. She lied about the rally supposedly having just started, and people joining it. Everyone knows perfectly well, and she knew perfectly well too, that on the contrary, the rally was at its peak and nothing was added to it afterwards. This is genuinely concerning. Finland isn’t the largest country in the EU, but it is an EU member state. Its foreign minister is now spreading lies, more accurately, fabrications. This is a catastrophe.

Regarding the cancellation, if you refer to her attending an illegal gathering, yes, she was responsible for creating the conditions that led to it. However, we promptly made the decision to cancel the meeting,” the Prime Minister stated.

As Kobakhidze noted, representatives of Finland’s Foreign Minister had no communication with Georgia’s government administration regarding an overloaded schedule.

“They had no communication whatsoever. We made the decision to cancel this meeting, which put her in an awkward position, and she tried to extricate herself from this awkwardness using the same method she’d used to try to escape the awkwardness related to participating in the gathering as the 51st person,” Irakli Kobakhidze stated.

Georgia’s Prime Minister explained that the government didn’t want to cancel the meeting at all, nor to say anything negative about Finland’s Foreign Minister, but “she started all of this.”

“She did something that left us no choice but to react,” Irakli Kobakhidze told the Georgian Public Broadcaster.

As the Head of Government pointed out, everyone is fully aware that the rallies on Rustaveli Avenue are a direct continuation of the attempted coup on October 4; those attending are the same individuals who participated in the coup rally, making it a logical extension of that event.

“Imagine, Finland’s Foreign Minister goes to such a rally. These people themselves are committing violence, after all. It’s not just illegal in its essence. These people are committing violence because the law and international standards are based on some logic, aren’t they? Why do the law and international standards tell you that you cannot block the capital’s central avenue with 50 or even 300 people? Because the tiniest minority cannot commit violence against the vast majority. That’s what international standards are based on, including our legislation. These people are violators, too.

When Finland’s Foreign Minister directly supports and encourages violators, you can judge for yourselves what that means. We’re not seeking confrontation, but this sort of thing happens every time. We didn’t want to cancel the meeting at all, nor to say anything negative about Finland’s Foreign Minister, but she started all of this. She did something that left us no choice but to react,” Irakli Kobakhidze stated.