Kobakhidze Criticizes President Zourabichvili's Invitation to Crimea Platform Summit
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
The 4th summit of the Crimea Platform is set to take place in Kyiv on September 11, with an invitation extended to Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili. This information was confirmed by Mykhailo Kharyshin, the temporary representative of Ukraine in Georgia, during an interview with Interpressnews.
Kharyshyn highlighted that Georgia has been actively involved in international efforts related to Crimea, noting President Zourabichvili's participation in the first global peace summit in Switzerland. "Georgia participates in the work of the international platform on Crimea," he said, adding that Ukraine, through its embassy in Georgia, has formally invited President Zourabichvili to attend the upcoming summit in Kyiv.
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze has openly criticized the invitation extended to Georgian President. The summit, which is set to take place in Kyiv, focuses on the ongoing Russian occupation of Crimea and is aimed at reinforcing support for Ukraine's territorial integrity. This year's summit will continue to focus on these critical issues, bringing together global leaders to discuss and coordinate actions in support of Ukraine.
Kobakhidze expressed his concerns over Zourabichvili's involvement, accusing her of calling for Georgia to engage directly in the Russo-Ukrainian war. "The friendship between Salome Zourabichvili and specific Ukrainian high-ranking officials is absolutely not surprising," Kobakhidze said, alleging that Zourabichvili had previously pushed for Georgia to open a "second front" in the conflict.
Kobakhidze accused Zourabichvili of praising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting shortly after the war began, reportedly stating, "Look, Zelensky is a hero, and you should be a hero." He suggested that her stance was clear from the start, making her alignment with Ukrainian officials unsurprising.
"Accordingly, the friendship between Salome Zourabichvili and specific high-ranking officials is absolutely not surprising to me," Kobakhidze reiterated.
