Ruling party official warns against turning Georgia into war battleground

Irakli Kirtskhalia, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in Parliament, said on Tuesday that Georgia’s foremost obligation was to prevent the country from becoming a battleground for war again, saying the government’s policy was focused on preserving peace and achieving de-occupation and territorial reunification.

Speaking during a parliamentary plenary session, Kirtskhalia said political irresponsibility was particularly dangerous when it involved national interests and territorial integrity.

“Our foremost obligation is to prevent Georgia from becoming a battleground of war once again. This was the path of state responsibility chosen by Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Georgian Dream - preserving peace through patience and wisdom. Our goal is de-occupation. Our path is peace, and our ultimate objective is a united Georgia, where Georgians, Abkhaz and Ossetians can once again build their future together. This is our position as a state, and no one will make us change it”, Kirtskhalia said.

He said recent statements by representatives of the United National Movement and groups that emerged from it concerning the conflict in Abkhazia had gone beyond political debate and risked harming Georgia’s national interests, territorial integrity and prospects for a peaceful settlement.

“Once again, we heard statements from certain representatives of the United National Movement and groups that emerged from it, the content of which goes beyond the boundaries of healthy political debate and raises extremely serious questions - whose interests does such rhetoric serve, what does it give Georgia, and most importantly, what harm can it cause to the country?” he noted.

“When one of the leaders of an agent network makes a statement about the war in Abkhazia that prompts the Prosecutor General’s Office to launch an investigation into alleged treason and sabotage, this is no longer merely a matter of political debate; it requires the special attention of the state and society”, he said.

Kirtskhalia said the rhetoric of some opposition figures could undermine efforts to rebuild trust between Georgian and Abkhaz societies, intensify confrontation and provide material for what he described as hostile propaganda against Georgia.

He said political statements concerning Abkhazia, the Tskhinvali region and war carried particular responsibility, warning that irresponsible rhetoric could undermine efforts to restore trust and achieve a peaceful settlement.
“Georgia’s national interests cannot become a space for political retribution by any party, personal ambition or the service of external interests. Everyone who claims a mandate to govern the country or participate in the political process bears a special responsibility for every word when it comes to Abkhazia, the Tskhinvali region, war and territorial integrity”, he said.

Kirtskhalia said Georgia’s policy towards Abkhazia was based on de-occupation through peaceful means, reconciliation and the restoration of relations.

“Abkhazia is not merely a matter of territorial integrity for us. Abkhazia is our people, our history and our shared future. Therefore, every step taken by the Georgian authorities in this direction is based on one fundamental principle - de-occupation through peace, reconciliation through trust, and the reunification of the country not through a new conflict, but through the restoration of relations”, he said.

He accused opposition forces of attempting to turn efforts to restore trust and maintain humanitarian ties with Abkhaz society into issues of political confrontation and escalation.

Kirtskhalia also criticised the policies of the previous government, saying its rhetoric following the 2008 war had been at odds with its practical policies towards Russia.

“After the devastating war of 2008, we saw the rhetoric and concrete political steps of the government at the time; we saw extremely damaging formulations concerning Georgia in a resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; we saw how loud anti-Russian rhetoric coexisted with the practical deepening of economic relations with Russia - in other words, there was one thing in words and another in practice”, he said.

He said that after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the same political forces had called for sanctions against Georgia and accused the government of facilitating sanctions evasion, while also raising the prospect of a “second front” in Georgia.

“After 2022, the rhetoric of the same political circle changed completely - we began hearing calls for sanctions against Georgia, calls for Georgia to impose bilateral sanctions against Russia, talk of a second front, unfounded accusations that Georgia was being used to circumvent international sanctions, and constant attempts to push our country into a state of direct escalation”, Kirtskhalia said.

He argued that such policies risked Georgia’s peace and were particularly dangerous when applied to the Abkhazia issue, where, he said, rebuilding trust required caution.

“A single irresponsible statement can damage in one day the trust that has been built over years”, he said.

Kirtskhalia said the Georgian Dream government had pursued its policy through international legal mechanisms, pointing to rulings by the European Court of Human Rights concerning Russia’s responsibility and effective control over Georgian territories.

“It was precisely under the Georgian Dream government that Georgia created important legal grounds for de-occupation in international courts. The European Court of Human Rights confirmed Russia’s responsibility, its effective control and the fact of the occupation of Georgian territories. This is the difference between loud rhetoric and state policy”, he said.

He also said Georgia had continued to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity through international resolutions.

“For years, Georgia has joined and supported international resolutions in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The principle is simple for us - international law is the same for everyone; it protects Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and that same international law protects Georgia’s territorial integrity”, Kirtskhalia concluded.