KIEV/TBILISI
A number of Georgian bureaucrats have key roles in Ukraine supporting President Petro Poroshenko against Russia while Georgian fighters have also been participating in clashes against pro-Russian rebels in the eastern part of the country.
The most widely known Georgian politician in Kiev is Mikheil Saakashvili, former president of Georgia, who is now the chairman of Ukrainian president's International Advisory Council on Reforms.
Saakashvili was the Georgian president during the Russo-Georgian War, which took place in August 2008, following worsening of relations between the two countries. Having left Georgia soon after the country elected its new president in November 2013, Saakashvili works today for the current Ukrainian government together with other former Georgian officials. Among them are Ukraine's Health Minister Aleksandre Kvitashvili, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Eka Zguladze, Deputy Minister of Justice Gia Getsadze, as well as Deputy General Prosecutor of Ukraine Davit Sakvarelidze and Economy Advisor to Ukrainian President Levan Varshalomidze.
They are now -- except Saakashvili -- Ukrainian citizens, having had to leave their Georgian citizenship due to the lack of legal ground for dual nationality. With the other Georgian officials in local governments, they are all representing Georgia in Ukraine in some way, Saakashvili said, speaking to The Anadolu Agency in Kiev.
Accusing Russia of trying to re-establish the Soviet Union, Saakashvili said the destinies of Ukraine and Georgia depend on each other more than ever before.
"All the Soviet Republics are in the same situation against Russia, which has now reactive psychosis and tries to re-establish The Soviet Union," he stressed.
Russia aims to take most of the eastern Ukraine, Saakashvili claimed, adding it wanted to spread across Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Moldova.
Recently, an alliance agreement was signed between The Russian Federation and South Ossetia in a move to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries -- an agreement that is not recognized by the U.S., which says, "The occupied regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia are integral parts of Georgia."
So far, only a few countries -- including Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela -- have recognized South Ossetia. Georgia does not recognize the existence of South Ossetia as a political entity.
In August 2008, Saakashvili, Georgia's former head of state, failed to regain control of the area after Russia and South Ossetia’s separatists defeated a Georgian incursion into South Ossetia in a bloody five-day conflict.
There are some criminal charges filed against Saakashvili, accusing him of abusing his authority to forcefully break up the anti-government demonstrations in Tbilisi in November 2007, and of raiding and illegally seizing the premises of Imedi TV following the broadcast of statements by opposition leaders as well as video footage of the crackdown on protesters by the riot police.
Meanwhile, The Georgian public prosecutor has repeatedly demanded Saakashvili’s extradition. "My extradition is impossible," Saakashvili told AA. "None of the countries, except for Russia, take it seriously," he added.
