The News in Brief
Thursday, October 3, 2024
Prepared by Messenger Staff
Georgian Prime Minister Vows Diplomatic 'Reset' After U.S. and Georgian Elections
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has suggested that the country's foreign relations may undergo a significant "reset" following the U.S. and Georgian elections, and the end of the war in Ukraine. Speaking on October 2, Kobakhidze emphasized that Georgia would need to "settle" with all international actors, including "Global War Party," though he again did not clarify who he meant by this term.
Kobakhidze indicated that evolving geopolitical interests would shape Georgia's future diplomatic stance. "After the two elections are over, after the war in Ukraine is over, we are sure that qualitatively, interests towards our country will change," he stated. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Georgia will be able to reset its relations with various international players starting early next year, based on shifting global dynamics.
The Prime Minister also hinted that the "Global War Party" may have played a role in his recent exclusion from a U.S. dinner with President Joe Biden, but again offered no specifics.
TI Georgia to Continue Election Monitoring
Eka Gigauri, the executive director of Transparency International-Georgia (TI-Georgia), has confirmed that the organization will monitor the upcoming October 26 parliamentary elections, continuing its role as an election observer, which it has fulfilled for the past 24 years.
On October 2, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, following a recommendation by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, revoked TI Georgia's status as a "subject with a declared electoral goal," a designation that would have restricted the organization's election monitoring. At a press conference, the head of the Bureau, Razhden Kuprashvili, justified the decision, which Gigauri has sharply criticized.
"Everything that was said in this press conference is a lie," Gigauri remarked, calling the claims made by Kuprashvili baseless and legally unsupported. She emphasized that the government's actions were an attempt to prevent TI-Georgia from monitoring the elections, but viewed the outcome as a "victory for the Georgian civil sector."
Georgian Prime Minister Vows Diplomatic 'Reset' After U.S. and Georgian Elections
Kobakhidze indicated that evolving geopolitical interests would shape Georgia's future diplomatic stance. "After the two elections are over, after the war in Ukraine is over, we are sure that qualitatively, interests towards our country will change," he stated. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Georgia will be able to reset its relations with various international players starting early next year, based on shifting global dynamics.
The Prime Minister also hinted that the "Global War Party" may have played a role in his recent exclusion from a U.S. dinner with President Joe Biden, but again offered no specifics.
TI Georgia to Continue Election Monitoring
On October 2, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, following a recommendation by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, revoked TI Georgia's status as a "subject with a declared electoral goal," a designation that would have restricted the organization's election monitoring. At a press conference, the head of the Bureau, Razhden Kuprashvili, justified the decision, which Gigauri has sharply criticized.
"Everything that was said in this press conference is a lie," Gigauri remarked, calling the claims made by Kuprashvili baseless and legally unsupported. She emphasized that the government's actions were an attempt to prevent TI-Georgia from monitoring the elections, but viewed the outcome as a "victory for the Georgian civil sector."