Today, Mr. Vano Chkhikvadze, the Foundation’s European Integration Program Manager, was met at the airport by a shouting and yelling organized group and government media representatives. Naturally, this was a government-coordinated incident in response to his speech in the US Congress. At a meeting of the Helsinki Commission, Mr. Vano Chkhikvadze spoke about the current challenges to Georgian democracy and the importance of the West’s support for the Georgian people on the path to integrating the country into the European Union. It is interesting how this group and the propaganda media gathered at the airport, received information about the flight schedule of the Georgian citizen in advance, if not with the involvement of the relevant government structures. It should be noted that today’s incident is one of dozens of attacks orchestrated by the “Georgian Dream” that we have witnessed in recent weeks.
Our colleague, Mr. Vano Chkhikvadze, with his professionalism and personal dignity, shares the national interest of the Georgian people and what the Constitution envisages – this is the European future of Georgia. And it’s natural
that his advocacy would it be for the country’s international reputation or public welfare is unacceptable to the authorities, which see the future of Georgia in an alliance with Russia. We are not surprised that Mr. Chkhikvadze’s enthusiasm about our country’s accession to the European Union and the goodness of this process is drifting apart with the authorities that adopted the “Russian law” – a symbol of violence against people, intimidation and betrayal of the country.
The “Georgian Dream” doesn’t want for the citizens of Georgia what Mr. Vano Chkhikvadze, together with other Georgian NGOs, activists and citizens in general, stands up for, namely: the European future, economic and social well-being, peace and security, protection of identity and the opportunity for a decent life.
