MEP Thierry Mariani: Georgia wants Europe but not going to be a Brussels colony

“The statement of Laura Thornton confirms that she gives no significance to Georgia-US relations but pursues her political group’s agenda both in the US and Georgia,” said Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili in a Facebook post, responding to remarks made by Laura Thornton, senior director for global democracy programs at the McCain Institute, on the X Platform. According to the Speaker, this reflects a “Deep State” style of activity, and he expressed hope that US President Donald Trump will effectively address it. “The statement of Salome Zourabichvili’s employer, which she made in one of the discussions on the X Platform regarding President Trump’s role in Georgia-US relations, confirms that she gives no significance to Georgia-US relations but pursues her political group’s agenda both in the US and Georgia. This is the ‘Deep State’ activity style, which we hope will be successfully addressed by President Trump,” he said. The senior director for global democracy programs at the McCain Institute and former head of the NDI Office in Georgia referred to Donald Trump as a “rapist and criminal.” “I understand that it is in Georgia’s interests to make the case for Georgian democracy. But understand that he is a rapist and a criminal, so for many of us it, as the Georgians say, ‘cuts our ears’ to hear lavish praise and ingratiation of him from our Georgian friends,” Laura Thornton wrote on the X Platform.

“Georgians desire Christian values instead of woke ideology, sovereignty instead of ties to the West, and peace instead of war. They do not want foreign interference — neither from Moscow, Brussels, nor Washington,” said MEP Tomasz Froelich in the European Parliament during the debates on Georgia. According to the MEP, the EP should respect the will of the Georgian people, there should be no arrogant lectures or escalating interventions. “The EU constantly complains about foreign interference, yet it is engaging in such actions in Georgia. It is supporting a coup d’état in Tbilisi, reminiscent of the bloody Euromaidan in Ukraine—stirring up demonstrations, funding foreign NGOs, and inciting mass protests on the streets. The outcome is clear, but it is not a positive one. The EU is acting this way because political forces in Georgia have emerged that do not align with Brussels’ agenda. Georgians desire Christian values instead of woke ideology, sovereignty instead of ties to the West, and peace instead of war. They do not want foreign interference—neither from Moscow, Brussels, nor Washington. This is understandable. We do not need a Michael Roth from the SPD on the streets of Tbilisi. Therefore, in our own interest, we should respect the will of the Georgian people. There should be no arrogant lectures or escalating interventions. Instead, we need to maintain good diplomatic relations with Tbilisi, as Georgia must not become a second Ukraine,” he said.

On the afternoon of January 21, President Xi Jinping had a virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The two presidents exchanged New Year greetings. President Xi expressed his pleasure in having a virtual meeting with President Putin just a few days before the Chinese Spring Festival, and shared his hope for a flourishing China-Russia relationship in the year ahead. President Putin responded by expressing his pleasure to talk to President Xi via video link at the beginning of the New Year. He wished President Xi and the Chinese people a happy Spring Festival and all the best. President Xi recalled the three meetings he had with President Putin in 2024 and the many important common understandings they reached. In 2024, the two countries celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. The bilateral relationship, centering on the spirit of lasting good-neighborliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutually beneficial cooperation, demonstrated renewed vitality. The China-Russia Years of Culture had many highlights. Practical cooperation made steady progress. Two-way trade maintained growth momentum. Close coordination in such multilateral fora as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS provided more positive energy to the reform and development of the global governance system. President Xi stressed his readiness to work with President Putin and guide China-Russia relations to a new height in 2025, to respond to external uncertainties with the stability and resilience of China-Russia ties, to boost the development and prosperity of both countries, and to uphold international fairness and justice. He underscored the need for the two countries to deepen strategic coordination, firmly support each other, and defend their legitimate interests. He also noted the need to cement and expand bilateral relations with a view to deepening practical cooperation. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War. It also marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. China and Russia should take the opportunities presented by the anniversaries to jointly safeguard the U.N.-centered international system and the fruits of victory in World War II, and to call on all countries to observe the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, uphold universally recognized basic norms of international relations, and follow true multilateralism. As the rotating president of the SCO, China will work with Russia and other member states to take the organization to a new stage featuring higher-quality development and greater responsibility and contribution. China and Russia should also work together to advance greater BRICS cooperation and write a new chapter of the Global South pursuing strength through unity. President Putin noted that Russia and China always trust each other, support each other, and treat each other as equals, and that the bilateral cooperation, which serves the interests of both peoples, has remained impervious to shifts in the international landscape. It is good to see that bilateral trade and energy cooperation keeps sound momentum, mutual visits by tourists are on the rise, and the two sides have close communication and collaboration in multilateral arena. Russia firmly supports the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and firmly opposes “Taiwan independence” in any form. Eighty years ago, Russia and China fought against aggressors at the cost of blood and life, thus safeguarding national sovereignty and dignity. This year, the two countries should jointly celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and defend the outcomes of World War II. Russia will work with China to strengthen cooperation in multilateral affairs and play a positive role for world peace and development. The two presidents also had an in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, and agreed to maintain strategic communication in 2025. Wang Yi attended the meeting.

“Swiss bank Julius Baer is acting as a mechanism for executing illegal and unfounded orders against Bidzina Ivanishvili, which is evident both in illegal actions carried out directly against Ivanishvili and in effectively concealing information requested by investigative authorities regarding defendant Giorgi Bachiashvili’s case,” Bidzina Ivanishvili’s lawyer, Temo Tsikvadze, said in a statement. The lawyer states that Julius Baer has been groundlessly restricting information about accounts for months, unnecessarily delaying the execution of transfer orders for Bidzina Ivanishvili and his family members without any justification, and has threatened to close their personal bank accounts. “As the public has learned, yesterday my client Bidzina Ivanishvili’s lawyer issued a statement regarding the Credit Suisse dispute and illegal actions by another Swiss bank, Julius Baer. The circumstances outlined in the statement establish that my client faces additional barriers regarding his and his family members’ asset management, due to improper actions by Swiss bank Julius Baer (which received the majority of assets that survived Credit Suisse’s illegal actions). Specifically, Julius Baer has been groundlessly restricting information about accounts (and transaction flows) for months, unnecessarily delaying the execution of transfer orders for my client and his family members without any justification, and has threatened to close personal bank accounts. Additionally, the bank is not fulfilling its contractual obligation regarding ensuring the timely fulfilment of obligations by hedge funds. Finally, it has effectively subjected Bidzina Ivanishvili’s and his family members’ bank accounts to sanctions through incorrect interpretation of so-called American sanctions. It should be emphasized that the aforementioned Swiss bank also figures in the ongoing criminal case against defendant Giorgi Bachiashvili. Specifically, on July 3, 2023, and July 21, 2023, two requests for legal assistance were sent to the Federal Office of Justice of the Swiss Confederation. Based on these requests, complete information/documentation was requested regarding accounts held at Julius Baer by Giorgi Bachiashvili and a legal entity that also figures in the criminal case. Unfortunately, without any explanation, the investigative body has not received any response regarding the requested information/documentation to date. Consequently, such information/documentation is not available in the criminal case. Based on the above, this specific fact from the criminal case and the totality of circumstances indicated in the statement give my client reasonable grounds to believe that another Swiss bank, Julius Baer, is acting as a mechanism/leverage for executing illegal and unfounded orders against Bidzina Ivanishvili. This is evident both in illegal actions carried out directly against Bidzina Ivanishvili and his family members, as well as in effectively concealing information requested by investigative authorities regarding defendant Giorgi Bachiashvili’s case (in which Bidzina Ivanishvili is the victim),” the lawyer states. For reference, Bidzina Ivanishvili is suing Julius Baer in court.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has written a statement regarding the EU Delegation in Georgia’s journalism competition. “Yesterday, the EU Delegation to Georgia delighted us with the news that a journalist from Formula TV – owned by Kezerashvili, who plundered the Georgian army – was named a finalist in their journalism competition,” wrote Papuashvili. According to Papuashvili, encouraging organizations that conduct campaigns of hatred and violence is equivalent to participating in such campaigns. “Yesterday, the EU Delegation to Georgia delighted us with the news that a journalist from Formula TV – owned by Kezerashvili, who plundered the Georgian army – was named a finalist in their journalism competition. Today, this TV station continues its terror. Encouraging organizations that conduct campaigns of hatred and violence is equivalent to participating in such campaigns,” Papuashvili wrote.