Famine threatens the Georgian people if relations between Kiev and Tbilisi are ruined – Saakashvili

So he quotes his words on the Georgian television channel Mtavari archi, the Russian-language Georgian online publication Sova.

“If Georgia disappears for Ukraine, it will not affect people in Ukraine. If Ukraine disappears for Georgia, it will be empty store shelves, mass hunger, trouble. Therefore, of course, this is not mentioned, and Ukraine will not, ”he said, according to this report.

According to him, a significant part of what people buy in Georgian stores, “for example, cereals, buckwheat, meat products, sausages, milk, is imported from Ukraine.”

The former Georgian president also claimed that Moscow was actually against his appointment in Kiev.

“For Russia, this was a very fundamental issue … For Russia, it was a clear demonstration that Ukraine is an independent country, and its president is the president of an independent state, full of dignity. I don’t want to be a containment bone. But it is necessary for Russia and the international community to demonstrate and remember this, “Saakashvili said, according to the publication.

According to the UN, imports to Georgia from Ukraine as of 2018 were fifth in volume, after imports from Turkey, Russia, China and Azerbaijan, and amounted to 5.6% of total imports.

Archi Mtavari Channel (The main channel): a new project by associate Saakashvili from his presidency in Georgia, Niki Uvaramiya. Previously, Uvaramiya was the head of the Rustavi-2 television channel, favorable to Saakashvili.

Recall, on May 7, that the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky appointed Saakashvili as head of the Executive Committee for Reforms.

After that, Georgia announced that it was withdrawing its ambassador to Ukraine. Subsequently, Prime Minister Georgy Gahariya clarified that the withdrawal of the Kiev ambassador does not cast doubt on the association between Ukraine and Georgia.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said Georgia’s reaction to Saakashvili’s appointment as head of the Executive Committee of the National Reform Council is wrong.

In late April, it was reported that Zelensky offered Saakashvili the post of deputy prime minister for reform, who is not currently in government.

Then, Georgia also sharply criticized Saakashvili’s possible appointment to the Ukrainian government. President Salomé Zurabishvili said this causes a lack of confidence between countries.