“Giorgi Gakharia was given a straightforward directive: to carry out provocations aimed at damaging the nation’s interests. These instructions, he received from external forces—what we refer to as the “Deep State,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists when asked about ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia’s actions.

According to Irakli Kobakhidze, there have been numerous instances where Giorgi Gakharia took actions that severely harmed the country.

“I want to present Gakharia’s actions in a more nuanced light. This was not merely an isolated incident. Each time he carried out provocations, they resulted in significant harm to the country’s vital interests. Before these events, there were cases in Basiani and Pankisi—numerous instances where Gakharia’s decisions inflicted serious damage on Georgia.

I am not a hypocrite, and I cannot believe he did this purely out of stupidity or without following orders. His actions were in line with explicit orders to provoke and undermine the country’s sovereignty. These directives came from external sources, the ‘Deep State.’

One of our key messages to the public is that today, Georgia is more independent and sovereign than ever before. We were not governed by external forces, but we had to report to the ‘Deep State.’ This was the reality in 2019 when a call came from the ‘Deep State.’ It was an official contact, though at that time, he was not representing the interests of any legitimate authority, but rather the interests of the ‘Deep State.’ Today, we refuse to make such compromises,” stated Irakli Kobakhidze.