“European bureaucrats are increasingly discussing the possibility of establishing a direct dialogue with Russia. Where they plan to do so, probably, they will also seek to engage with the ‘pro-Russian’ Georgian government,” stated Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze during a briefing at the government administration, commenting on the report published by the European Commission.

According to the Prime Minister, the European Union has undergone a complete shift in its political landscape and attitude, including towards the Russian Federation.

“When objective assessments are documented within the European Union, they are based on empirical research and accurately reflect reality. However, this is often tempered by stark political statements that bear little relation to the facts on the ground. This is yet another example of how an impartial observer perceives the situation in Georgia. As for the European Union, the political context has changed entirely, and consequently, the EU’s stance towards, for example, the Russian Federation has evolved as well. European bureaucrats are increasingly deliberating on initiating a direct dialogue with Russia. Where they plan to do so, they will likely also want to open a dialogue with the ‘pro-Russian’ Georgian government. With this brief aside, I would like to emphasise the issue of double standards. Double standards continue to pose a significant challenge within European bureaucracy today. We hope that the European Union will address and overcome these issues,” the Prime Minister concluded.