Kibar Khalvashi has released a statement. The statement of the owner of TV company “Rustavi 2” has been posted on Rustavi 2’s website.

In his statement Khalvashi states that editorial independence will be guaranteed, however, he thinks that “editorial independence does not mean fulfilling anybody`s whims and caprices, adjusting to the taste of the people with destructive tasks and operating in the frames of their ethics”.  As it is noted in the statement owner of TV company looks for a European or American media manager with high reputation and expertise.

The statement reads as follows:

“Several days have passed since the most important decision not only for us, but also for the entire Georgian society, which shows that justice may be belated, but will surely be enforced.

For several days, we have been trying with our maximum effort to continue cooperation in a calm and civilized manner.

On the 18th of July, after the publication of the Strasbourg decision, I made a statement that everyone could stay on the channel and that the new management was ready to work with all the employees except for Nika Gvaramia, and I emphasized that the editorial independence would be protected.

Unfortunately, we have heard a lot of things from the  TV channel returned to me on the basis of the court decision which contradict the principles on which of the  Strasbourg  Court of Human Rights is based. The most shocking thing for me is the statements that are directly targeted at discrediting the European Court and its judges and are in unison with the statement of the former dismissed Director-General.

I am afraid that such behaviour will stir up anti-Western attitudes. Most likely it will negatively affect the channel”s popularity and rating. I hope that this is not done intentionally.

Nevertheless, we continue to work and the director, appointed by me, along with the consultant work practically 24 hours to study the situation in the company which, as it turned out, is very difficult.

We must overcome this crisis and ensure the proper functioning of the channel. In such a situation, when the director of the company undertakes  maximum effort to solve the existing problems, and on the other hand, we hear on air the unsubstantiated statements of the journalists which are out of touch with the values declared by the channel, when  deliberately or unintentionally discrediting  of  Western institutions takes place, I think that the company needs  a media manager having western experience who  will help the channel to produce high-quality critical TV products meeting   journalistic standards.

I have started the process of searching for the appropriate person. Presumably, he/she will be selected in the nearest future and a European or American media manager with a high reputation and TV experience will be appointed.

Of course, I remain faithful to my own promise and once again confirm that editorial independence will be guaranteed. However, I would like to tell everyone that editorial independence does not mean fulfilling anybody`s whims and caprices, adjusting to the taste of the people with destructive tasks and operating in the frames of their ethics.

The full realization of editorial independence is possible only in the frameworks of internationally recognized media standards.

This is impartiality and the accuracy of disseminated information achieved in the conditions of the professional freedom of the journalist, which ensures the credibility and high quality of public accountability; At the same time, freedom of expression should not inflict damage or insult to the audiences, should follow the ethical standard and prevent deliberate dissemination of false information and defamation, all parties should be able to express their opinions and positions.

The principles listed above are not new to journalists and I believe that we will be able to work together following these principles. With the aim to support exactly these principles and standards, we are selecting a foreign media manager who has a high reputation and great practical experience, and we are confident that the employees currently working on the channel will easily find a common language with him. “- reads the statement of Kibar Khalvashi.