Georgian Parliament official: not role of diplomatic corps to participate in protests or encourage demonstrators

Mariam Lashkhi, the chair of the Georgian Parliament's Education, Science, and Youth Affairs Committee, on Sunday accused domestic radical groups of exploiting national reforms and initiatives to incite unrest within the country.

In her interview with Imedi TV, Lashkhi argued that recent protests against planned educational reforms serve as clear evidence that certain factions are more interested in chaos than constructive dialogue.

“We see that radicals and those interested only in destabilisation use every reform and initiative for that purpose. The decision to respond to education reform with protests once again confirms that they are refusing to engage in substantive discussion”, the Parliament official said.

The MP also took aim at the Estonian Embassy following a controversial social media post. The embassy recently shared a photo featuring the outgoing Estonian ambassador, the Chargé d'Affaires, and the Rector of Ilia State University, accompanied by the caption: “We stand with Ilia State University”.

Lashkhi criticized the move as an overstep of diplomatic boundaries, suggesting that international partners should offer expertise rather than political optics.

“It is not the role of the diplomatic corps to participate in protests or encourage demonstrators. Estonia could have used its own experience as an example to show how effective university reform can be implemented. Instead, this once again highlights their goal of causing destabilization in the country”, she concluded.