PM says Russophobia debate in Georgia part of new deep state campaign

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday said that discussions about Russophobia in Georgian society and the government’s increased focus on the issue are linked to a new campaign planned by the deep state.

Asked by TV Pirveli whether he considers Russophobia a major challenge in Georgian society and whether the issue deserves such significant attention from the government, Kobakhidze said it “deserves extraordinary attention”.

He further claimed that political groups, non-governmental organisations and media outlets are involved in what he described as a coordinated campaign directed from abroad.

“It deserves a lot of attention, extraordinary attention, for one simple reason. We see that this is a new planned campaign by the deep state, involving the entire political asset - foreign agents represented by parties, politicians, NGOs, and you as well”, Kobakhidze told the opposition-leaning TV Pirveli.

He accused the media outlet of playing a leading role in promoting what he called an “anti-Russian” campaign.

“Since we see that the deep state is paying extraordinary attention to this anti-Russian campaign, we must also pay extraordinary attention to this campaign and provide society with full information on this issue”, Kobakhidze concluded.