Shalva Papuashvili and Irakli Kobakhidze Criticize Kelly Degnan's Statement on Russian Cruise Protest
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili criticized US Ambassador Kelly Degnan for her statement regarding the protest against the Russian cruise and labeled it as a "dangerous approach" for foreign diplomats to speak on behalf of the Georgian people.
Degnan's remark about the protest in Batumi port raised concerns among the ruling party, as she stated, "Georgians should not be expected to welcome people from a country that occupies 20% of Georgia's territory, has an artificially created 'border', and detains Georgian citizens, sometimes keeping them in captivity for months."
Papuashvili deemed Degnan's statement manipulative and expressed unease about foreign diplomats making declarations on behalf of the Georgian people. He emphasized that the Georgian people do not require foreign guardianship, as they elect their representatives through democratic elections, who, in turn, represent their interests.
He pointed out that ambassadors solely represent their own countries and protect the interests of their own people, not those of the Georgian people. He considers it a concerning trend when representatives of foreign countries speak on behalf of Georgians, implying that the Georgian people lack their own voice and representation.
"Ambassadors, when representing someone, solely represent the interests of their own country, and if they protect the interests of any people, it is only the interests of their own people. Therefore, safeguarding the interests of the Georgian people is not the responsibility of a foreign country's ambassador. Hence, it is a concerning trend when representatives speak on behalf of the Georgian people. This approach is patronizing towards the Georgian people, suggesting that they lack their own representatives and need foreign assistance to express their opinions."
Papuashvili further argued that such assessments, including the one made by Degnan, 'fuel' violence and hysteria. He attributed the recent 'attack' on Georgian police during the protest to the support of such assessments.
Chairman of the Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze also responded to Degnan's statement, stating that speaking on behalf of the Georgian people is not the role of any ambassador, especially when characterizing the protests of a specific group as representing the entire Georgian population.
