Controversy around Tbilisi-Minsk-Tbilisi flight
By Khatia Bzhalava
Tuesday, August 18
The government plane which flew from Tbilisi to Minsk raised some questions for the opposition party members. On August 16th, information was spread on the internet that the passenger of the plane was the president of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, however, according to the government, the flight was arranged for the Georgian ambassador to Belarus, Valeri Kvaratskhelia, who had been visiting Georgia since August 6th, but, due to the recent events in Belarus republic, the ambassador’s immediate return to Minsk was necessary. Still, the above is doubted by the opposition members, who believe that the flight had hidden intentions.
The statement issued by the MFA clarifies that the decision to transport the ambassador by governmental plane was made based on the situation when two countries have restricted air traffic due to the pandemic.
One of the leaders of the United National Movement, Salome Samadashvili calls the official version ‘unconvincing’. She does not understand why the ambassador was not in Belarus, while ‘history is practically being created there,’ she also wonders ‘why did Georgian people have to pay dozens of hundreds of Laris from their own pockets, while there are, for example, 5-6 flights from Kyiv to Minsk daily,’ therefore, Samadashvili does not believe that the reason of the flight was the Ambassador. If, however, this was the case, she demands that the state publish the documentation since she believes that the budget funds have been wasted.
Sergi Kapanadze, who is one of the leaders of European Georgia, also wonders why Kvaratskhelia was not on location during this very important time for Belarus.
According to Gia Volski, the first vice-speaker of the parliament, the statements of the opposition are ‘incompetent’ and ‘harmful’.
“one of the Russian websites reported that the president’s plane had landed in Minsk, which then led to our opponents’ statements, that some kind of secret flight had taken place. Besides incompetence, this is destructive as well, since the information is inauthentic. Our Ambassador, who has been to Georgia prior to the elections, has traveled back (to Minsk) and will provide us with detailed information from there,” Volski Stated.
concerning the current tense situation in Belarus, the president of Georgia has made a statement which reads that “We hope the current process will be completed in a way that will not harm or hinder Belarus's democratic and European future. We distance ourselves from all forms of violence. We believe that Belarus and its people will be able to decide their own future democratically.”
