Georgian prime minister rules out possibility of ‘Maidan Revolution' in country

ISTANBUL

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday denied the possibility of a "Maidan Revolution" in his country, as protests continue over a “foreign agents” bill that is expected to be signed into law in the coming days.

“No Maidan will occur in Georgia. I want to remind everyone of the consequences of “Maidan” for Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has been externally appointed multiple times, with the appointees ultimately avoiding responsibility for subsequent events,” Kobakhidze said in the capital Tbilisi. The 2014 mass protests in Ukraine had led to the ouster of then President Viktor Yanukovych, who was widely perceived as pro-Russian.

His remarks came after his Estonian counterpart Kaja Kallas said she did not have prior discussions about Foreign Affairs Minister Margus Tsahkna’s participation in a protest in Georgia.

Public protests continue in the Eurasian country against the controversial law that requires organizations, which receive more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register with the state. Critics say the bill would undermine democracy, labeling it as a "Russian law," but members of the ruling majority argue it would increase transparency.

“Estonia’s foreign minister participated in an opposition rally in Georgia without the consent of the Estonian prime minister. This shows a lack of seriousness within the specific structure, which is very sad, although this is their business,” Kobakhidze said.

Expressing that Ukraine had territorial integrity and a $200 billion economy prior to the Maidan protests, he said the country is currently in decline, for which “no one takes responsibility.”

“No one else can take responsibility for protecting the interests of our country. The example of Ukraine has shown this. That’s why we must safeguard the independence of our state,” the Georgian premier said.

'Unacceptable and outrageous'

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry later released a statement condemning what it described as “unfriendly” comments from Kobakhidze.

“For Ukraine, the statements of the head of the Government of Georgia regarding our state, the Revolution of Dignity, heroism and the struggle of the Ukrainian people for freedom and independence are unacceptable and outrageous,” it said.

Indicating that Kyiv considers it “regrettable” to observe Kobakhidze’s remarks which have become “difficult to distinguish from the statements of the Russian leadership,” the statement called on Georgian politicians to refrain from such comments.