The News in Brief
Friday, March 1, 2024
Prepared by Messenger Staff
Saakashvili Different from Navalny; Elections Not Tied to his Location, Says President Zourabichvili
President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili stated that Mikheil Saakashvili is not Alexei Navalny, and fair and free elections do not depend on Saakashvili's location. The president remarked that while the former president is serving a sentence for a real crime, it would be more beneficial to explore alternative measures such as house arrest or extradition in terms of reputation. As for the pardon, according to Zourabichvili, she does not comment on it.
"What we see now, and what we have seen in different regimes, is the tendency of human rights violations in the prisons of authoritarian regimes. We have witnessed all of this and experienced it during Saakashvili's time. So, he is in prison for real reasons.
However, this does not mean that the humanitarian perspective should not be protected and respected. I have closely observed what happens to him in prison.
Asking what can be done, I agree that it would be much better reputationally for him to be somewhere else. This decision has to be accepted by the government. There are many ways that other countries have solved these problems, such as house arrest or extradition. Ukraine has shown readiness for extradition, although I don't know if it has happened formally. So, these possibilities are there.
From my side, I only have one opportunity ze, which I never comment on outside the country and rarely comment on inside the country, because there are many others who are waiting for the opportunity to be pardoned, and if you start to explain or justify, it is very unfair to other people. So I'm not commenting. This is a moral decision that I will make on my own, and I will answer only to myself, and it is definitely not something that can be influenced by external or internal pressure," Zourabichvili said.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze Meets Israeli Ambassador Hadas Meitzad
The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, met with the Ambassador of Israel to Georgia, Hadas Meitzad.
According to the government administration, the discussions during the meeting centered on the current cooperation between the two countries and the potential for further enhancing partnership across various sectors.
The Prime Minister underscored the longstanding friendship between the two countries, which is grounded in the strong political ties between them.
"Attention was paid to the positive dynamics of trade and economic relations development. Irakli Kobakhidze noted that Georgia welcomes the initiation of negotiations on a free trade agreement next year. The Prime Minister reiterated his solidarity with the diplomat following the terrorist attack on the State of Israel and its citizens on October 7, 2023," the statement reads.
Saakashvili Different from Navalny; Elections Not Tied to his Location, Says President Zourabichvili
"What we see now, and what we have seen in different regimes, is the tendency of human rights violations in the prisons of authoritarian regimes. We have witnessed all of this and experienced it during Saakashvili's time. So, he is in prison for real reasons.
However, this does not mean that the humanitarian perspective should not be protected and respected. I have closely observed what happens to him in prison.
Asking what can be done, I agree that it would be much better reputationally for him to be somewhere else. This decision has to be accepted by the government. There are many ways that other countries have solved these problems, such as house arrest or extradition. Ukraine has shown readiness for extradition, although I don't know if it has happened formally. So, these possibilities are there.
From my side, I only have one opportunity ze, which I never comment on outside the country and rarely comment on inside the country, because there are many others who are waiting for the opportunity to be pardoned, and if you start to explain or justify, it is very unfair to other people. So I'm not commenting. This is a moral decision that I will make on my own, and I will answer only to myself, and it is definitely not something that can be influenced by external or internal pressure," Zourabichvili said.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze Meets Israeli Ambassador Hadas Meitzad
According to the government administration, the discussions during the meeting centered on the current cooperation between the two countries and the potential for further enhancing partnership across various sectors.
The Prime Minister underscored the longstanding friendship between the two countries, which is grounded in the strong political ties between them.
"Attention was paid to the positive dynamics of trade and economic relations development. Irakli Kobakhidze noted that Georgia welcomes the initiation of negotiations on a free trade agreement next year. The Prime Minister reiterated his solidarity with the diplomat following the terrorist attack on the State of Israel and its citizens on October 7, 2023," the statement reads.