Prime Minister says Georgia responds to interference from Russia and from European institutions alike

“We have made countless statements in response to Russia’s statements. We have spoken out and condemned Russia’s position on a range of issues many times, the main one, naturally, being the occupation and the occupied regions,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists.

He stated that the Foreign Ministry and other bodies have issued multiple statements in response to Russia’s claims.

“When they comment on so-called elections in the occupied territories, that too is interference in our internal affairs, because both Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region are our internal affairs. These are our territories. Every time the Russian side interferes in our internal affairs, we issue the appropriate statements. Likewise, when European institutions issue statements that interfere in our internal affairs, we naturally respond with appropriate comments.

The challenges are of a different scale, but the spirit is the same. Both one country and the other want to interfere in our sovereignty and our internal affairs. The spirit of interfering in our sovereignty is the same. Of course, the degree differs, because in one case we are talking about occupied territories, which is a problem on an entirely different scale. But interference in sovereignty is interference in sovereignty. So the spirit is the same; the scale is different.

We hope this spirit can change. I can say the same even about Russia: if they reconsider their position on the occupation, we are ready to talk to Russia too. If this spirit changes and steps are taken, we are ready. The same goes for the European institutions. We are talking to them even as things stand; it’s just that they won’t talk to us, which shows where their spirit lies,” the Prime Minister said.