“Such a situation exists with the European bureaucracy; they have openly admitted to seeking illicit channels to transfer money. When you look for illicit channels, your intentions are also dubious,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Imedi Live in response to a question about the statement made by the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos.
According to him, the funds in question were used in five separate attempts to organise a revolution in Georgia through NGOs, 1tv.ge reports.
“We know what this money was used for, American funds under the previous administration, and now European funds as well. These were five separate attempts to incite revolution through NGOs, which are often referred to as civil society. But I reiterate that this term is completely misleading and has no connection to reality. There is no such thing as civil or non-civil society. When you try to hide behind such absurd terminology, it reveals malicious intentions in multiple directions. All of this clearly admits that they intend to attempt to sow chaos here once more, and they are prepared to bring in illicit money to do so. Naturally, the state will continue to protect its interests, as we have successfully done in the past, and will continue to do so in the future,” the Prime Minister concluded.
For context, European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, stated during a panel discussion at the EU Enlargement Forum: “The Georgian government is very careful about who we provide funding to. We are exploring ways to transfer funds to civil society without harming them.”
The Prime Minister emphasised that he does not expect the suspension of visa-free travel, as this remains the last weapon in their arsenal.
“I do not anticipate such an unpragmatic step being taken for one simple reason: it is the final weapon they possess. We know that their informal masters have exploited the EU issue to blackmail the Georgian people, firing many shots in this regard, including withholding candidate status, delaying negotiations, and suspending Georgia’s European integration process from June 27, 2024”, Kobakhidze added.
