MP Matikashvili: Regional leaders attending key events in host countries is standard practice and will continue

“It is common knowledge that regional heads of state attend major events in neighbouring countries whenever those events carry significant local importance. This has always happened, it is happening today, and it will continue to happen in the future,” declared MP Davit Matikashvili, Chairman of the Parliamentary Procedural Issues Committee.

Matikashvili pointed out that a recent visit by an Iranian delegation to a neighbouring country went entirely unremarked upon by critics.

“We recently witnessed an Iranian delegation visiting a neighbouring country, which passed without any outcry whatsoever. Yet now, critics are attempting to fabricate an absurdity out of thin air. Attending a state event, be it an inauguration or a funeral, is an entirely standard, necessary component of international diplomacy routinely undertaken by heads of state. To brand this as a shift in our nation’s foreign policy is baseless, as evidenced by the fact that Georgia and Iran maintain only minimal economic relations,” Matikashvili stated.

For context, the Administration of the President of Georgia has confirmed that President Mikheil Kavelashvili will travel to Iran to attend the funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The administration further noted that the ceremony will be attended by leaders from across the region, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and other nations.