Georgian Parliament official calls Moldovan President “mouthpiece” for external forces

Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Regional Policy and Self-Government Committee, on Wednesday said that Moldovan President Maia Sandu no longer acted as an independent political leader, but instead voiced positions dictated from outside.

Kadagishvili commented on Maia Sandu’s address at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), where she spoke about Georgia in the context of Russia’s alleged hybrid influence.

In his remarks, Kadagishvili noted that Sandu’s political career depended entirely on external appointments and support, which, in his view, explained the substance of her statements about Georgia.

“If we read the substance of Maia Sandu’s statement, she emphasises that we returned to the Russian orbit because, out of fear of war, we managed to secure votes during the elections. In other words, you can see how strongly opposed they are to the peace-oriented policy and position that Georgia holds”, he said.

The official argued that her criticism reflected strong opposition to Georgia’s peace-oriented policy, particularly Georgia’s refusal to become involved in a war against Russia.

“Once again, it becomes clear where the irritation of her patrons comes from - that Georgia was not dragged into a war against Russia. That is, the geopolitical war map envisioned Russia having several hotspots on different fronts, which would naturally further weaken its position. Georgia refused to play that role. And this is unforgivable for that bureaucracy, for those people of the political mainstream who currently manage affairs in Europe”, he noted.

Kadagishvili further stated that such rhetoric harmed not only Sandu herself politically, but also Moldova as a state and the future of Georgia - Moldova interstate relations.

“In this case, Maia Sandu is merely a mouthpiece. She is no longer perceived as the president of an independent country”, he concluded.

In her address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Moldovan President Maia Sandu spoke about Russia’s hybrid operations and claimed that Moscow had brought Georgia back into its orbit by exploiting fears of war.