Georgian PM: all state, private companies must continue cooperation with Imedi TV, POSTV

Georgian prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said that the fundamental right to media freedom for all television stations in Georgia, including Imedi TV and POSTV, will remain inviolable.

The prime minister made these remarks in response to a question from a Formula TV journalist regarding whether state-owned companies should continue cooperating with Imedi and POSTV in light of British sanctions. Kobakhidze emphasised that both state and private entities should maintain their partnerships with these broadcasters.

“You may hope that fundamental media rights will be violated in Georgia, but I will give you a simple answer - the fundamental right to media freedom will not be violated for any television company in Georgia, neither Imedi nor PosTV”, the PM said.

“All state-owned and non-state companies must, naturally, continue cooperation with both television companies”, he continued.

Kobakhidze added that expectations of restrictions on media freedom or entrepreneurial freedom would not materialise, stressing that such practices were characteristic of the period prior to 2012.

“Both media freedom and freedom of entrepreneurship were ‘trampled’ before 2012, while today the Government ensures media pluralism and the protection of fundamental rights”, he noted.

“Everything will be done to ensure, on the one hand, the protection of media freedom, and on the other hand, the protection of entrepreneurial freedom”, the prime minister said, adding that such rights had never been undermined in recent years despite repeated predictions to the contrary.