Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling "Georgian Dream" party, has put personal interests above the interests of the country. James O'Brien, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, announced this at a press conference in Tbilisi.
"The fact that the person refused to meet with the partner of the country means that he puts his interests above his obligation, which is fixed by the constitution of Georgia," he said. He emphasized that Ivanishvili is not currently under sanctions. "That such a powerful man is so misinformed is disappointing," O'Brien said.
On Monday, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that Bidzina Ivanishvili refused to meet with O'Brien. According to Kobakhidze, the reason is that Ivanishvili is already "under de facto sanctions" and "can't hold any match under blackmail." "Georgian Dream" considers the freezing of 2 billion dollars of Ivanishvili's accounts as "de facto sanctions" due to the possible Russian origin of these funds. The Prime Minister of Georgia has assured Ivanishvili that he will change his position if the "de facto sanctions" are canceled.
