Georgian PM: deep state seeks to undermine Georgia’s economy, fuel hostility between nations, push country toward military conflict

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday accused what he described as the deep state and its local “agents” of seeking to prevent Russian tourists from visiting Georgia, claiming the ultimate goal is to prompt Russia to suspend all economic relations with Georgia.

Speaking at a briefing at the Government Administration, Kobakhidze said the plan was aimed at weakening Georgia’s economy, fueling hostility between nations and ultimately pushing the country toward military conflict.

“According to the new plan of the deep state, its local agents must do everything possible to ensure that Russian tourists no longer come to Georgia. This should ultimately result in the Russian authorities suspending all economic relations with our country, allegedly because of Russophobic sentiments in Georgia”, the PM said.

Kobakhidze linked the alleged plan to what he described as previous efforts in 2022 to pressure the Georgian government into opening a “second front” against Russia and sending volunteers to Ukraine.

“Whereas in 2022, at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the local radical agents, acting on the instructions of the deep state, urged the Government to open a second front and send volunteers to Ukraine, while foreign agents offered Georgia a military ‘walk’ to [occupied] Sokhumi and Tskhinvali, under the deep state’s new plan, its local agents must do everything to ensure that Russian tourists no longer come to Georgia”, he said.

The Prime Minister added that the ultimate goal was for the Russian authorities to suspend all economic relations with Georgia, allegedly in response to what Moscow would perceive as anti-Russian sentiment in the country.

“The goal of all this, as well as opening a second front and joining the sanctions imposed on Russia, is to undermine Georgia’s economy, fuel hostility between nations, and push the situation toward military conflict, which, in our case, could result in the extreme weakening of Georgia and even threaten its very existence”, Kobakhidze concluded.