Patarkatsishvili Offers to Mediate Adjara Crisis

Badri Patarkatsishvili an influential media and financial tycoon was elected the chair of the Georgian Taxpayers Union – a business lobby group – on April 14. Previous chairman of the Union, Niko Lekishvili is to assume his position as an MP.

Following the election, Patarkatsishvili offered to mediate a standoff with Adjara authorities. He proposed to set up a group of businesspeople that would arrive to Batumi and mediate the conflict of the local officials with the central government. ?We have no right to stand aside,” Patarkatsishvili said.

Reaction of the Georgian authorities is yet unknown.