Irakli Kobakhidze, the Prime Minister of Georgia, addressed President Salome Zourabichvili’s remarks about postponing the ceremony to honour Olympians, asserting that his party, Georgian Dream, will refrain from engaging in any row over the issue.

He emphasized the longstanding tradition of hosting an official reception for Olympians following the Games. He criticized Zourabichvili for her statement that she did not consider it appropriate to award the Olympians at this time, saying the awards would take place later, together with those for the Paralympic athletes.

“I am not sure if she is trying to provoke us into a brawl, but that will not be our focus. We will adhere to our agenda. The tradition is well-established: once the Olympic Games conclude, an official reception is held. Organizing such an event was imperative for us, rendering her statement irrelevant,” Kobakhidze stated.

Kobakhidze further explained that honouring successful athletes is a commendable practice, which was recently established together with the Speaker of Parliament.

“The responsibility for the awarding ceremony rests with her (Zourabichvili). When and where it occurs is beyond our jurisdiction. The event itself is meant to celebrate achievements. Unfortunately, the practice of directly awarding honours has not been fully realized. I recall that in 2021, during a similar meeting, no medals were awarded to the athletes, even though we honoured them in spirit.

For instance, Lasha Talakhadze, a two-time Olympic champion, received no formal recognition from Salome Zourabichvili,” the PM stated.

Kobakhidze concluded by expressing hope that each Olympian and medalist will eventually receive the high honours they deserve, stating, “I sincerely hope these awards will be granted. If not in the immediate future, a new president may take office in four months, and perhaps they will ensure recognition, but I am optimistic it will happen sooner.”