Lithuanian news outlet 15min cited today sources confirming that the Baltic states denied Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili official visits on the grounds of the unwillingness of Georgian authorities to punish those responsible for July 5 violence against journalists and LGBT activists.
According to the sources cited by 15min „in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, the decision to diplomatically refuse to accept Garibashvili was coordinated at both the parliamentary and governmental levels.“
The article said the refusal „is also linked with“ the ruling Georgian Dream party abandoning the EU-brokered April 19 agreement and cited MP Žygimantas Pavilionis, Lithuanian Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, describing the withdrawal as “an unprecedented crossing of the red line.”
Georgian media agency Interpressnews cited today the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denying reports of the cancellation of visits by Estonia and Latvia as “speculation.” The Ministry said the visits could not have been planned for the reported dates of August 8-9 since it was “a date of state significance” for Georgia, alluding to the 13th anniversary of the 2008 Russo-Georgian war. The 15min article did not specify the exact dates for the planned visits, however.
Reports about Baltic states denying PM Garibashvili official visits have circulated in Georgian media over the past few days.
The story prepared by Lithuanian foreign affairs journalist Gintaras Radauskas also suggested that the Georgian PM is neither accepted by Washington D.C., presuming similar grounds. The claim has been earlier denied by the Government of Georgia.
Also Read:
- July 5 Violence Organizers Not Identified, Ombudsperson Says
- Garibashvili: Lithuanian MP Statements ‘Mean Absolutely Nothing’ for Georgian Dream
- Washington Alarmed Over ‘Repeated Setbacks’ to Georgian Democracy
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