Georgia’s ruling party official: our number one goal is reunification and reconciliation, opposition seeks to fuel hostility

Levan Machavariani, the First Deputy Chair of the Georgian Dream parliamentary faction, on Friday accused representatives of the radical opposition of attempting to reignite hostility between Georgian and Abkhaz people, which he said had been artificially fueled for decades.

Machavariani was responding to statements by representatives of the radical opposition regarding a letter by Georgian Dream parliamentary faction member Irakli Kirtskhalia.

According to Machavariani, statements by members of the collective United National Movement regarding occupied Abkhazia are not accidental and are part of a well-coordinated effort.

“Our number one task is to reunify the country and reconcile with our Abkhaz and Ossetian sisters and brothers. When the opposition sees concrete steps being taken - most recently, the delivery of fuel to Abkhazia for humanitarian purposes - they become twice as active and try to stir up the hostility that has been artificially fueled for decades”, Machavariani said.

He argued that imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s recent statement was preceded by a “well-planned campaign”, referring to what he described as a “treacherous statement” by Giorgi Baramidze, in which the latter accused Georgians of committing war crimes.

“We also remember Nika Gvaramia’s statement that Abkhazia is supposedly a trauma that must be removed. He was followed by Ms. Samadashvili, and then Mr. Saakashvili brought this entire narrative together”, Machavariani noted.

“These people are enemies of the country, and, of course, they want to artificially fuel hostility so that Georgia has no opportunity to restore its territorial integrity”, he concluded.