On November 5, in an interview with Russian media group Russia Today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denied allegations of Russian interference in the Georgian elections, accused the West of interfering in Georgia’s internal affairs, and expressed readiness to further normalize bilateral relations with Georgia.
Commenting on the allegations of Russian interference in the October 26 parliamentary elections, Lavrov stressed that such claims are an “outright lie” and said: “The Americans are trying to attribute to us what they themselves are doing”. He added: “Washington continues to actively exploit the self-generated myth of Russian interference in any election, whether “at home” or in third countries. If, as a result of the election results, forces undesirable to the United States win somewhere, Russia is immediately ‘blamed’ for the ‘wrong’ choice of voters.”
He emphasized that Russia has already shared its concerns about “the West’s unprecedented interference” in Georgia’s internal affairs and the “unscrupulous pressure” of the West “on Georgian authorities and voters.”
He also noted that the U.S. and the EU “are artificially trying to present the current electoral process in Georgia as a strategic choice between Russia and the West,” and thus, he claimed “they want to put Georgia and other post-Soviet states in front of a false fork in the road.”
He went on to say that “in reality, we are talking about a choice between sovereign development based on national interests and external governance, between traditional values and neoliberal attitudes imposed from outside.”
“The people of Georgia have made their choice. We treat them with respect. We are ready to continue the process of normalization of bilateral relations,” Lavrov concluded.
Also Read:
- 29/10/2024 – Russian Officials Accuse West of “Neocolonialism” and Meddling in Georgia
- 18/10/2024 – Lavrov Reiterates Invitation for Tbilisi to Join 3+3 Platform, Accuses West of Attempts to “Open Second Front”
- 29/09/2024 – Lavrov: Russia Ready to Help Georgia, Abkhazia, Tskhinvali Normalize Relations