Sikharulidze: Russia Seeks to Destroy Geneva Format Through Georgians' Hands

Former Georgian Ambassador to the United States David Sikharulidze said in an interview on the Palitranews program "Free Studio" that attempts by Georgians to undermine the Geneva format are alarming and worrying.

According to Sikharulidze, the Geneva negotiation format is ineffective because Russia is torpedoing it. In his explanation, Russia does not like that it is a Georgia-Russia negotiation with the participation of other international mediators.

"No one is so naive that they cannot understand why the Geneva format is not effective. It is not effective because Russia is torpedoing it. They are trying to make this format ineffective so that its destruction is not carried out by their hands but by someone else's, and if it is done by Georgians' hands, this directly coincides with Russia's interests. Preserving this format is very important," Sikharulidze said.

In his assessment, the appointment of an official representative of the prime minister in Russia is not the main problem. The main and most serious problem is the policy of Georgian Dream itself, which, according to Sikharulidze, has been implemented since coming to power and does not correspond to Georgia's national interests.

Sikharulidze says that energy, trade and financial dependence gives Russia the opportunity, through hybrid levers, to weaken Georgia's statehood and national interests. According to him, Russia perceives the Georgian state as an abnormality and seeks to turn it into a formation dependent on itself, which Georgian Dream's policy facilitates.

"These trade relations carry a far greater risk for the Georgian state than benefit. It is very wrong and heavy that Georgia's economic, trade, financial and energy dependence on Russia is growing so blindly and thoughtlessly. Be assured, Russia will certainly use this against us," Sikharulidze said.

Regarding the consideration of the lawsuit on banning parties in the Constitutional Court, Sikharulidze said that such a process helps Russia carry out its own tasks.

"Russia's strategic task is the destruction and weakening of the Georgian state and turning Georgia into its own satellite. For them it is very important, and the primary task is to maximally diminish Georgia's reputation as a state and to set the Georgian population against each other, to introduce as much division as possible into society and foment discord. Such a process helps in carrying out all these tasks," Sikharulidze said.