Kaladze: Inter RAO represents commercial business; heavy-handed state intervention violates principles we have upheld since 2012

“This is a commercial business, and heavy-handed intervention on the part of the state naturally violates the principles we have upheld since 2012,” declared Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze in response to a question concerning the European Union’s sanctions against Inter RAO.

According to Kaladze, business in Georgia is inviolable, and the owners of any given company will handle such matters themselves.

“Regarding the sanctioning of Inter RAO, there are other owners alongside it, including Georgians, as I understand. They will sort it out among themselves. This is a commercial business, and heavy-handed state intervention naturally violates the principles we have defended and followed since 2012. If there is a genuine necessity for state action of any kind, we will of course take the appropriate steps; however, business is inviolable; they will resolve and sort out the matter themselves,” Kakha Kaladze stated.

The Mayor of Tbilisi also noted that strategic assets of this nature were sold off to Russian entities specifically under the previous administration.

“Everything we are talking about was Georgian state property. When we speak of the ‘bloody regime’, one of their exact actions was selling off companies like these to Russian state enterprises. They used to come out and tell us that ‘Russian money has no smell’; they told us nothing was harmed by Russian business entering the country and operating here. All of this happened after the 2008 war. They sent letters attempting to thaw relations and host cultural events in our country. After the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, instructions came down from the Deep State, from their patrons, and they began attacking anything with a Russian name. This is sheer hypocrisy. Furthermore, it demonstrates that they are dutifully executing orders issued by their patrons. I repeat once more: if it becomes necessary for the state to take concrete steps, we will most certainly take them,” the Mayor of the capital noted.