Customs officers prevented the import of undeclared gold jewelry at Kutaisi Airport

WARSAW, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador in Warsaw cut off contact with Poland's parliament speaker on Thursday, accusing him of insulting Donald Trump after he criticised the president's policies and declined to support his Nobel Peace Prize ambitions. Ambassador Tom Rose's furious response to Parliament Speaker Wlodzimierz Czarzasty underlined the precarious balancing act politicians from Poland's pro-European coalition government face in keeping their most important ally onside while Trump is pursuing "America First" policies many of them find unnerving.

Georgia’s President Mikheil Kavelashvili, accompanied by his wife and delegation, met with the figure skaters competing for Georgia.At the meeting, the President thanked the athletes for their success at the European Championship.“I, as a former athlete, know your feelings, what you are thinking, what the preparatory theme is like, and the entire concentration is on the performance. I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of our people for the joy we experienced and received during the European Championship. This is the beginning; you have accomplished a tremendous thing. You know how much Georgians love sport and the pride they feel in victory. It is also a great honour for you to have brought such immense joy to our nation and our people. For this, I thank each of you once again,” Mikheil Kavelashvili noted.According to Mikheil Kavelashvili, the athletes’ success is an example and motivation for young people.“I am convinced that many children, girls and boys will begin taking up figure skating. This is always contagious. Success is not solely about becoming champions; it also provides the foundation for future generations to witness this achievement and to develop a desire to pursue sport. You are the exemplification of this,” noted Mikheil Kavelashvili.According to him, he is confident that Georgia’s Olympic delegation will compete successfully.“I had great motivation to meet you. I want you to know that the entire country stands beside you. This will be an additional stimulus and motivation. You are high-level professionals. We are beside you, we wish you success, and we believe that you will compete successfully,” the President of Georgia stated.Eight athletes from Georgia will compete in two disciplines at the Winter Olympic Games: figure skating and alpine skiing. From Georgia’s Olympic delegation, the alpine skiers are in Cortina, where competitions in slalom and giant slalom will be held.As part of the visit, Mikheil Kavelashvili will support Georgia’s representatives at the figure skating team event at the XXV Winter Olympic Games.According to the Georgian President’s administration, the President of Georgia will attend a dinner hosted in the name of Italy’s President, Sergio Mattarella, in honour of foreign heads of state attending the opening ceremony of the XXV Winter Olympic Games before the Olympics opening.The President of Georgia will also attend a dinner hosted by the President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the country’s stated goal is eventual membership in the European Union, adding that the government is open to discussion on any topic.“We have a stated goal — that Georgia wants to eventually become a member of the European Union. As for discussions on any topic, we are ready for this, we can discuss the pros and cons of any process. However, a constitutional task is a constitutional task,” Kobakhidze told journalists.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told Georgian journalists in Dubai that debates can cover any topic, provided fundamental principles are respected, including the recognition of the constitutional order.“There is a lot of speculation across the political spectrum. Regarding the proposal to hold debates on any subject, we can take any topic and discuss it. The main requirement is that fundamental principles are respected, one of which is the recognition of the constitutional order.A healthy discussion can take place on any issue. This does not mean we need to rethink our constitutional tasks. The point is that every topic has its advantages and disadvantages, and a normal, healthy discussion can examine these—for example, the pros and cons of European integration. The key is that the discussion is argument-based, open, transparent, and provides the public with clear and informative perspectives on all topics,” the Prime Minister added.

“The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee states that Euro-bureaucracy has turned into a monster which directly interferes in the internal affairs of specific countries,” stated the First Vice-Speaker of Parliament, Gia Volski.Volski was asked about the report published by the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, according to which “the European Commission remains loyal to censorship, targets conservative content, and interferes in elections throughout Europe”.“Everything is based on real facts, just as was the U.S. State Department’s decision that enormous sums paid by American taxpayers should not be spent on intervention in other countries. The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee has expressed similar concerns, describing Euro-bureaucracy as having become a monster, a mechanism that directly interferes in the internal affairs of specific countries. Not only does it fail to contribute positively to the development of processes, but it also seeks to impose double standards on everything. Unfortunately, all of this has resulted in quite serious consequences for Georgia, especially as it has led to the emergence of certain flashpoints of confrontation. I doubt their outcome will be beneficial for them, but the fact remains that the Judiciary Committee has drawn clear conclusions about what we are dealing with when we speak of double standards from Brussels. According to data from the European Commission, Georgia is ahead of other candidate countries in every area deemed a European standard,” stated Gia Volski.