Georgian Prime Minister labels BBC-covered attempt to undermine state as “bursting soap bubble”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Saturday dismissed as unsuccessful a recent operation targeting the country’s national interests, describing it as “full of holes” and saying it “burst like a soap bubble.”

Kobakhidze made the remarks during a briefing at the Government Administration, responding to a journalist’s question following a BBC report that had sparked criticism from Western partners.

According to the Prime Minister, the operation was “coordinated”, but its impact was minimal.

“Of course, this was part of a coordinated special operation, but everything collapsed like a soap bubble in just five days. Consequently, it cannot have any real effect. Everything is crystal clear: there are investigation materials, documentation, substance analyses, and statistical data”, Kobakhidze said.

He referred to the aftermath of April 9, 1989, when the use of prohibited substances had overwhelmed hospitals and clinics, requiring treatment for over a month.

“This was a real situation. In this case, there isn’t even any outreach. How could this so-called journalistic investigation have any value? It has none”, he continued.

The Prime Minister compared the failed operation to a previous alleged poisoning of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, noting that the earlier case had also created “huge media frenzy out of nothing”, including a protest from 27 ambassadors.

He added that the recent operation covered by the BBC, as well as some local and international actors, was even less credible.

“Where basic facts do not support you, you cannot artificially create any buzz”, he concluded.