**British Embassy’s Actions Spark Controversy in Georgia**
The Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has hit back at the British Embassy’s statement denying funding for propaganda and extremism. In a scathing response, Papuashvili compared the embassy’s behavior to that of a child who hides stolen goods and denies any wrongdoing.
According to Papuashvili, the British Embassy’s actions are a clear violation of the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Georgia and the UK. He accused the embassy of hiding information about its funding, which is unacceptable in adult-to-adult dealings.
“Their behavior is similar to that of a child who hides something in their hand and says ‘nothing’ when asked what they have,” Papuashvili said. “We won’t accept such childish answers from adults.”
Papuashvili’s comments come as the British Embassy faces scrutiny over its funding of certain groups in Georgia. The Speaker of Parliament demanded that the embassy provide clear answers and arguments to address the allegations, rather than simply denying them.
**”Shooting Themselves in the Foot”**
Papuashvilli also described the British Embassy’s statements as “strange” and self-harmful. He compared their actions to shooting themselves in the foot, much like they did earlier when they revealed a critical procedural error that led to accusations of funding extremism.
“This is not just hypocrisy, but a clear sign of weakness,” Papuashvilli said. “When you don’t recognize an OSCE/ODIHR conclusion and try to push it aside, you can’t seriously talk about the importance of their mission.”
**Local Elections and Hypocrisy**
The Speaker of Parliament also touched on the issue of local elections in Georgia. He accused Britain of being hypocritical by not recognizing the OSCE/ODIHR conclusions from 2024 but now demanding an OSCE/ODIHR mission for the upcoming elections.
Papuashvilli recalled a phone call between the British Foreign Minister and the Georgian Foreign Minister, where the former allegedly spoke to a minister from the opposition party, Georgia Dream. He described this as a “shameful” statement that undermined the credibility of the OSCE/ODIHR report.
**Conclusion**
The controversy surrounding the British Embassy’s actions in Georgia highlights the complex relationships between countries and the importance of transparency and accountability. As Papuashvilli so aptly put it, “adults won’t accept childish answers.” It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold and what impact it will have on the relationship between Georgia and the UK.
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