Georgian Parliament official: those pushing destabilisation are not friends of Georgia

Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on European Integration, on Tuesday said that those pushing the country toward destabilisation and seeking to penalise the Georgian people for maintaining peace will never be true friends of Georgia.

In his remarks, Makhashvili criticised what he termed another “baseless attack” on the country, asserting that radical forces are actively opposing the core values that the Georgian state and its people have upheld for centuries.

“These days we are witnessing another intensified baseless attack on Georgia. The recent documents of the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which some present to us in the name of progress, are in fact a direct guide for those radical forces whose sole goal is to destroy the foundations of our country. They are not fighting any specific political team - they are fighting everything and everyone that is dear to Georgia and on which our homeland and our people have stood for centuries”, Makhashvili said.

“Let’s examine these resolutions, reports, and statements that have effectively become directives. We must ask: what are their true objectives? What are they instructing others to fight against in Georgia? They are targeting our state institutions - law enforcement, the judiciary, state structures, the electoral process, and transparency. Their goal is to discredit these pillars of the state and undermine our legal foundations to sow chaos, nihilism, and distrust throughout the country”, he continued.

Makhashvili added that these radical forces oppose a strong state, noting that because true strength is synonymous with sovereign independence, their goal is to keep Georgia weak and manageable.

“They should fight against the main pillar of our spirituality, our mother church - the institution that preserved our language, homeland, and faith in the most difficult centuries. Together with the church, they are fighting against family, traditions, and identity. By attacking the church and values, they want to break the backbone of our national body, because they know: as long as a Georgian man is strengthened by faith and tradition, no foreign agenda can be imposed on him”, he noted.

“They must fight against respected people - public authorities, intellectuals, scientists, artists, athletes, the older generation, patriots. Those whose word has always been weighty for the people; those whose raised flag unites the nation; those who make an immeasurable contribution to the building of the country. A deliberate campaign is underway to morally destroy, slander and discredit all those who have rendered merit to the country, in order to leave the public without a concrete guide”, he continued.

Makhashvili further asserted that these radical forces should instead strive for peace, which he described as the most vital achievement that the Georgian people are struggling to maintain amidst the current geopolitical turmoil.

“Peace is not a value for them, but an obstacle. They are trying to polarize the public, incite discord between people, sow hatred, so that divided and weakened people can easily become victims of other people's interests”, he stressed.

Makhashvili emphasised that the European Parliament’s resolutions do not reflect the interests of the Georgian people, asserting that Georgia will never again serve as a pawn in others’ political agendas or a casualty of geopolitical ego.

“These resolutions do not reflect the interests of the Georgian people. This is a short-term noise caused by the geopolitical conjuncture, dictated by the context of the war in Ukraine, which will inevitably subside over time, and our country will firmly continue on its own path”, he claimed.

“Here is the main question that we need to address: is it possible to call the authors of such documents friends of Georgia? The answer is very clear - no! A true friend respects your choice, your culture and your security. Those who push you towards destabilisation, those who blackmail you, those who shelter radicals and those who try to punish you for maintaining peace in your country will never be true friends of Georgia. Our response to this unjust political noise will be united, calm and firm: Georgia will never again become a weapon of other people's political games and a victim of big geopolitical egos. By standing by the population, we will protect the peaceful and dignified life of our country”, he concluded.