“Russian money or the well-being of nationalists” – Zurabishvili was faced with a choice
If Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili had been able to refrain from openly anti-Russian attacks, Moscow would not have imposed a ban on air traffic with Georgia.
Deputy head of the Institute of CIS Countries Vladimir Zharikhin stated this in a commentary to Moskovsky Komsomolets.
“Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili must disavow her statement that Russia is an enemy. This was a deliberate provocation on her part. Zurabishvili worked as a diplomat for half her life. She definitely knows the value of words. If not for this statement, there would be no restrictions,” the expert said.
At the same time, he admits that Zurabishvili’s apology will create certain problems for her within the country.
“Perhaps her apology will cause new protests in Tbilisi, but the Georgian authorities must decide for themselves what is more important - Russian money from tourists, wine, and so on, or the well-being of nationalists. In the second case, Georgians can rely on money from the West, but practice shows that anti-Russian speeches are not valued very highly. The example of Ukraine shows that even if the IMF allocates something, then the money will have to be returned,” Zharikhin said.
As PolitNavigator reported, on June 19 in Tbilisi during a report at the session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy attacked the head of the Russian delegation, State Duma deputy Sergei Gavrilov.
As a result, anti-Russian riots broke out in Tbilisi, the culprit of which was declared by Georgian President Zurabishvili to Moscow, calling Russia an “enemy” and an “occupier”
See also: Georgian hoteliers: “Our tourism industry has been hit hard.”
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