Georgian PM accuses EU bureaucracy of avoiding dialogue, calls approach “Soviet-style”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said that European bureaucrats were deliberately avoiding dialogue with Georgia, claiming they fear open discussion because “we are right in every respect, including on human rights”.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Kobakhidze noted that his Government had prepared all necessary information, and the Georgian delegation was fully ready for a “sincere and open” discussion with EU representatives.

“It became clear once again that they avoid discussion and avoid debate, constantly looking for excuses to disrupt any kind of dialogue. How can a conversation on human rights be canceled because of some official? This was the reason they cited. They fear dialogue as if it were a plague - that is their attitude”, the Prime Minister said.

Kobakhidze argued that this behavior resembles outdated governance practices.

“This is a Soviet-style approach. In the past, we used that term for the leadership of the Soviet Union, and now the leadership of the European Union comes across as a similar ‘union authority’. This is not the right approach - it is a Soviet approach. Even Soviet decision-making was, in some ways, more pragmatic and rational. What we see now - running away from any form of discussion - is much worse than the Soviet-style methods themselves”, he added.

The Prime Minister reiterated that Georgia remains confident in its positions.