Yesterday, 50 people gathered, they blocked the street against the law, and the Finnish Foreign Minister joined this illegal gathering as the 51st person; she knew that the gathering was illegal and despite this, she still decided to attend the illegal gathering, – Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said in an interview with the 1st Channel.
According to the head of government, by participating in the illegal gathering, the Finnish Foreign Minister created the basis for the cancellation of the meeting that was scheduled for today.
Irakli Kobakhidze explained that Valtonen’s representatives had not communicated with the government administration regarding her busy schedule.
“We never seek confrontation, we are an independent, but still small country and, accordingly, we have to account for many things. It is not in our interests to incite or deepen confrontation with the European Union, with the EU member states, but the same thing happens as happened yesterday and today. We had scheduled a meeting with the Finnish Foreign Minister, who also held the position of OSCE Chairman-in-Office. This meeting was scheduled, we were expecting the meeting and we would have talked about all the topics. If they had questions, they would have been answered, but yesterday evening everything changed. This woman came to an illegal rally. The street was blocked. Violence is only one of the reasons for considering an assembly illegal. The second reason according to the law is when participants in the assembly can block the road only if the number of participants in the assembly allows it. Yesterday, 50 people gathered, they blocked the street against the law and the 51st person to join this illegal meeting was the Finnish Foreign Minister. She knew that the gathering was illegal and despite that, she still decided to go to the illegal gathering,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.
According to the Prime Minister, the Finnish Foreign Minister also lied, as if the rally had just started.
“She said one lie right there, at the rally, and added another lie in the morning. She lied about the fact that the rally had just started and people were joining in. Everyone knows very well, and she knew very well, that on the contrary, the rally was at its peak and nothing was added to this rally since then, but this is really disturbing. It is a disaster when European leaders – Finland is not the largest country in the European Union, but it is one of the EU member states and its Foreign Minister – frame such lies, such hypocrisy. She created the basis for the cancellation of the meeting by attending an illegal rally. We immediately made the decision to cancel this meeting. They did not have any communication, we made the decision to cancel this meeting, which put her in an awkward position and tried to get out of this awkwardness in the same way that she tried to get out of the awkwardness that she had when she participated in the gathering as the 51st “Akatsuki”. The 50 so-called “Akatsuki” gathered at that rally and the Finnish Foreign Minister went to this rally as the 51st “Akatsuki”, which is unthinkable. This speaks to the extremely difficult situation in the depths of the European bureaucracy,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.
Also, as Kobakhidze noted, the rallies being held on Rustaveli Avenue are well known to everyone as a continuation of the attempt to overthrow the government on October 4. Everyone who goes there had been at the overthrow rally and it is a logical continuation of that.
“Imagine, the Finnish Foreign Minister goes to such a rally. These people are also violent. Isn’t it illegal in its essence? These people are also violent, because the law and international standards are based on some logic. Why do the law and international standards tell you that you can’t block the central avenue of the capital with 50 or even 300 people? Because it’s impossible for a large minority to commit violence against a large majority. This is what international standards, including our legislation, are based on. They are also violent. When the Finnish Foreign Minister directly supports and encourages violent people, you can judge for yourself what it means. We don’t look for confrontation, but this happens every time – we didn’t want to cancel the meeting at all, nor say anything negative about the Finnish Foreign Minister, but she started all this. She did not leave us a chance not to react,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.
In addition, according to Irakli Kobakhidze, yesterday the Finnish Foreign Minister met with Maka Botchorishvili, where all topics were discussed and the Finnish Foreign Minister had the opportunity to hear answers to questions on everything.
According to Kobakhidze, “there are foreign agents in the European bureaucracy” like Baia Pataraia in Georgia. Maka Botchorishvili spoke to the Finnish Foreign Minister, but it makes no sense as she still went to the rally as the 51st “Akatsuki”.
“Two meetings were scheduled with the Finnish Foreign Minister, yesterday with the Foreign Minister and today with me. Yesterday there was a meeting with the Foreign Minister, where all topics were discussed and she had the opportunity to hear answers to questions about everything, including how many people would come to the illegal rally in the evening. She could also get information about the nature of the rally, but what’s the point? When they receive an assignment, these people have exactly the same type of status, the real status that, for example, Baia Pataraia has in Georgia. It’s no different. They are the same foreign agents in the European bureaucracy as Baia Pataraia in Georgia, I’ll give you the most obvious example. Therefore, there’s no point. Maka Botchorishvili spoke to her about anything, but she went to the rally as the 51st “Akatsuki”. If she had any questions, if she was interested in anything, she could come to the meeting and we could have a discussion, but this is the Soviet approach – not a meeting, not a discussion, not a healthy debate, she should be the 51st participant in the illegal gathering. This is the Soviet approach that we are talking about, and at such a time, we see that there is no point in talking,” – said Irakli Kobakhidze.
According to Irakli Kobakhidze, the Finnish Foreign Minister has received an assignment to incite the revolutionary process in Georgia and she embarrassed herself by joining 50 people in an illegal rally.
Kobakhidze says that Voltonen is lower level than Baia Pataraia and Salome Zurabishvili.
“The Finnish Foreign Minister has received an assignment to incite a revolutionary process in Georgia, which is doomed to failure, but she has received such an assignment,” Kobakhidze said.
According to the head of government, the most tragic thing is that the European bureaucracy has descended to the level of Baia Pataraia.
“Just like Baia Pataraia, this woman also gets assignments. There is no difference. This is the most tragic thing in the European Union today, that the European bureaucracy has descended to the level of Baia Pataraia. This is the most tragic thing. They do whatever task they are given. Did this person embarrass herself? She joined 50 people at an illegal rally. She had to lie, saying that people were just gathering, that Finnish flags were flying. She spoke miracles. She is a lower level than Baia Pataraia. He is a lower level than Salome Zurabishvili. This is the real face that our European bureaucracy shows us. Is there any other explanation for this? They know everything very well, but they receive some task and must fulfill this task,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.
For information, today the Georgian government administration issued a statement explaining that “yesterday, due to participation in an illegal rally and making false statements, the Prime Minister canceled the planned meeting with the Finnish Foreign Minister.”
Later, the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Elina Valtonen, stated that the planned meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze had been canceled not at the initiative of Georgia, but at the initiative of Finland due to a change in schedule, and the Georgian side had been informed about that.
Earlier, on October 14, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Elina Valtonen, arrived at the protest in front of the parliament. Elina Valtonen spoke to the protesters.
Then Valtonen shared a video and a text on X, saying: “Peaceful protestors have gathered in front of the Parliament Building in Tbilisi, Georgia, to voice their concern over the repressive direction of their country. They have every right to democracy, to freedom of expression and basic human rights. We are here to support them..”
Prime Minister: It is a disaster when an EU member state and its minister says lies – 50 “Akatsuki” were gathered at the rally and the Finnish Foreign Minister arrived as the 51st “Akatsuki” – she did not leave us a chance not to react
