Ruling party official dismisses claims about President's alleged Moscow visit as “absurd”

In response to allegations raised by the United National Movement, Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday dismissed as absurd the claims that the President Mikheil Kavelashvili might travel to Moscow on May 9.

Mdinaradze criticised the UNM’s recent press briefing, during which the party’s leader Tina Bokuchava suggested that Kavlelashvili’s visit to Moscow was imminent. Mdinaradze characterised these allegations as “low-level, unserious, and harmful propaganda”.

“If anyone in this country, under the current conditions of occupation and severed diplomatic relations, genuinely believes that Kavlelashvili will visit Moscow on May 9, that person has a serious problem, in my opinion. I apologize if I offend anyone, but that is my stance, and I hope I won’t be judged too harshly for it”, the ruling party official said.

He further argued that even engaging in discussions about such a claim was irrational.

“It is impossible to take seriously a question about whether Kavlelashvili will be in Moscow on May 9. If someone even considers this possibility, they are responding to nonsense. The level of absurdity is so high that addressing it seriously would be self-degrading. It is insulting to even entertain the idea that he would go to the Kremlin”, he noted.

Mdinaradze also accused the opposition of attempting to manipulate public opinion by spreading misinformation.