“Strategic partnership and economic cooperation with China is crucially important for Georgia, which we can only welcome, whilst the agents that are controlled from abroad consist of enemies of the country,” declared Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze.

As Kakha Kaladze told journalists, all of Georgia’s neighbouring states are trying to get closer to China.

“For us, partnership with China is crucially important in general. If you observe, every neighbouring country strives to have good relations with China in all directions.

Accordingly, we have explained on numerous occasions that a strategic partnership with China and economic cooperation are important, and we can only welcome this. As for what the agents seek and what primarily motivates them, we are all already well aware of this. They are simply enemies of the country, controlled from abroad, carrying out all instructions, taking into account the interests of external forces, whatever they are told and assigned to do. They are ready to go even against the country and the people. This is what these people represent, and the country’s population always gives them an answer. Those who serve external forces and are ready to go against the state and the Georgian people – such politicians and parties have no place in our country,” declared Kakha Kaladze.

A hearing on Georgia will be held at the Helsinki Commission on September 10, where Salome Zourabichvili, Tinatin Khidasheli and Luke Coffey have been invited as witnesses.

“Georgia was once a core U.S. partner and a beacon of freedom in the Caucasus. Today, the ruling Georgian Dream party is dragging the country back into Russia’s orbit and deepening their relationship with China and other U.S. adversaries. Over the past few years, Georgian Dream has crippled Georgia’s institutions and further undermined Georgia’s sovereignty by courting Chinese investment while blocking U.S. businesses from Middle Corridor trade and access to Central Asian rare earth minerals. They have jailed opposition, used violence against peaceful protestors, and refused to relinquish their grip on power after elections widely viewed as illegitimate. This poses an immediate and serious threat to U.S. interests in the region,” states the Helsinki Commission’s statement released on September 3.