Georgian Foreign Minister Slams Foreign Interference in Domestic Affairs

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Tuesday described foreign interference in the country’s internal political matters as "completely unacceptable."

Her remarks followed a statement from the Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, which urged the Georgian government to uphold European standards in human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, The Caspian Post reports, citing Georgian media.

The minister said she had “difficulty commenting” on the statement, which she said “appears to portray domestic opposition parties as speaking and acting for the entire nation”, while suggesting the opposition was not prepared to participate in elections and needed more time to mobilise supporters.

The Georgian top diplomat further addressed calls from Erik Ottoson, a Swedish MP and the Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs of the Swedish parliament, which she alleged had been made to “incite unrest” in Georgia and described as a “revelation of the desires held by certain politicians regarding Georgia”.

Ottoson last year urged Georgian citizens, protesting against the results of Georgian parliamentary elections held last October, to “show the world outrage and take the streets”, noting the “peaceful protests” had to “grow and happen every day”, while also reminding citizens of Maidan Revolution in Ukraine, where he claimed a “very large protest took place” and “revolutionary events were unfolding”.

Botchorishvili claimed there had been “attempts of destabilisation of Georgia” and “development of scenarios that challenge the country’s constitutional order”, including plans “similar to Ukraine’s Maidan events” between 2013-2014, which she said had been “not only discussed but even prepared” by unspecified forces.