“If the issue is framed as a choice between peace and stability or visa liberalization, of course, we will prioritize peace and stability. This is the choice of the Georgian people, and this is how the issue is being presented to us,” said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in a statement to journalists, commenting on the fact that the European Commission sent a letter to Maka Bochorishvili demanding that the Georgian government implement eight recommendations.
According to the Prime Minister, whether a citizen travels to Europe with a visa or without one is not an existential issue, whereas “what they are proposing—to disrupt our peace and stability”—is, in his words, an existential matter.
“We have a clear response to everything. When it comes to prisoners, we have a very clear answer: each prisoner has committed a specific crime. Let them start a discussion about this. Let them provide justification if they have legal questions about any case. Such questions do not exist, and what we have are empty political ultimatums, which is unfortunate.
As for the laws, the law related to family values, the protection of minors’ interests, and transparency is very important for our country. These laws are about transparency—about the transparency of revolutions. If someone wants to finance revolutionary processes in Georgia, they should do so transparently. If they don’t want to, that’s incomprehensible.
We are ready to hold a healthy discussion with all entities on all issues. It is important that the European Union not be portrayed to Georgian society as the Soviet Union.
What happened in the Soviet Union? Directives came from Moscow, and if they weren’t followed, you were punished. How is Brussels different from Moscow?! Brussels must not resemble Soviet Moscow. Every step we have taken is directly in line with fundamental human rights. We are responsible for ensuring peace, stability, and development in Georgia. It is not right to blackmail the Georgian people because they did not return a bloody political force to power.
If someone frames the issue as a choice between peace and stability or visa liberalization… when they forbid us from adopting a transparency law, it means they want to take away our peace and stability. When they tell you not to pass a law that restricts foreign forces from organizing a revolution in the country, it means they are threatening the loss of stability and peace. If the issue is framed as peace and stability versus visa liberalization, of course, we will prioritize peace and stability. This is the choice of the Georgian people, and this is how the issue is being presented to us. We choose peace and stability, and we will not give them up! Visa liberalization means that a Georgian citizen will need a visa to travel to Europe. As for the rest—peace, stability, family values—these are existential issues. Whether you travel to Europe with a visa or without one is not an existential issue. What they are proposing—to disrupt our peace and stability—these are existential issues. When an existential issue is pitted against a non-existential one, priority must be given to the existential,” the Prime Minister stated.
