**Georgian Parliament Speaker Slams German Embassy Over Event with Pro-Saakashvili Figure**
The Georgian Parliament’s Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili, has strongly criticized the German Embassy in Tbilisi for hosting an event featuring Irakli Khvadagiani, a well-known figure from the pro-Russian United National Movement. The speaker took issue with the embassy’s decision to present Khvadagiani as someone capable of helping Georgian society reflect on its past.
According to Papuashvili, the German Embassy’s actions were not only shameful but also demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of Georgian history and politics. “The German Embassy knew exactly who they were dealing with and who they had brought in as an expert,” she said. “Yet, they continue to behave so rudely — which is unfortunate.”
Papuashvili accused the German Embassy of trying to engage in “brainwashing” by presenting Khvadagiani as a credible voice on Georgian history. She pointed out that Khvadagiani’s involvement with the United National Movement and his recent actions demonstrated a clear failure to comprehend the country’s past.
**The German Embassy’s Hypocrisy**
The speaker also highlighted the hypocrisy of the German Embassy, given its own struggles to come to terms with Germany’s own past. “When it comes to reflecting on history after the era of the German Democratic Republic,” she said, “it seems that the German public itself has failed to fully process its own history — even 35 years after reunification.”
Papuashvili noted that recent election results in Germany showed a clear divide between East and West, with many Germans still struggling to come to terms with their country’s past. She argued that this made it all the more unacceptable for the German Embassy to claim that Georgian people needed its help to understand their own history.
**A Lesson from History**
Papuashvili concluded by saying that Georgia had been reflecting on its past for millennia, and did not need outside help or guidance. “We have been reflecting on our past throughout that time,” she said. “And we will continue to do so — without anyone’s help, and certainly not with such harmful assistance.”
The parliament speaker’s comments are likely to be seen as a strong rebuke of the German Embassy’s actions, and may put pressure on the embassy to rethink its approach to engaging with Georgian society.
Read More @ www.interpressnews.ge
