“We had a very important dialogue. This is a good step, an important step, and we will continue to support all positive efforts.” Charles Michel, President of the European Council
“We had a very important dialogue. The main message is the following: to protect the interests of the Georgian people,” said the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, after a meeting between the authorities and the opposition.
“There are many difficult and complex challenges in this country, economic development, the social situation, COVID-19, security, stability – these are very important challenges that must be overcome. That is why this political crisis must be resolved urgently, and today I’m proud that important and good steps have been taken in the right direction. This does not mean that everything is resolved, but when I asked all the participants if they were ready for dialogue to find a solution together, their answer was “yes.” This is a good step, an important step, and we will continue to support all positive efforts,” said Charles Michel.
“In two weeks we will have the next meeting of the Association Council in Brussels to monitor the progress made on various difficult issues,” he added.
“The call, recommendation and advice of the President of the European Council was that we should all find a common language as soon as possible, including the opposition and the government,” said the Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili after the meeting at the Presidential Administration, organized by Charles Michel.
He noted that the meeting was held in a constructive atmosphere.
“We agreed that this dialogue will continue. I will have a consultation with the political council of the Georgian Dream and we will take further steps. I hope the opposition will continue to work in such a constructive mode,” the Prime Minister added.
In turn, representatives of opposition parties also positively assess the meeting with the government officials and say that the negotiations have reached a fundamentally new level.
Mamuka Khazaradze, one of the leaders of ‘Lelo for Georgia’ Party, told journalists that at the meeting, “The conversation touched upon all the issues that concern the society.”
“Naturally, no agreement could be reached on all these issues today. The main thing is that the process has started and this process is accompanied by specific deadlines. The deadline is set for about two weeks, on March 16 there is a meeting scheduled in Brussels, and at that moment we, the government and the representatives of the opposition, should be able to resolve these issues for the benefit of our country,” Khazaradze said.
By Ana Dumbadze
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