Only Three Leaders of Opposition Parties Met John McCain

On January 11, US Senator John McCain met leaders of opposition parties during his visit in Georgia. The meeting was held in the hotel “Intourist” in Batumi; leader of the parliamentary minority Giorgi Targamadze, a leader of the Alliance for Georgia Davit Usupashvili and leader of the “Save Georgia” Levan Gachechiladze attended it.

Several representatives of the opposition parties were invited to the meeting with the Senator John McCain, as it was reported by the US Embassy in Georgia. However, some of them could not arrive in Batumi because of being busy. The US Embassy does not clarify the names of “busy leaders” of the opposition.

According to Giorgi Targamadze, the leader of the parliamentary minority, during the meeting they spoke about foreign threats of Georgia, Russian-Georgian relationship and support of the USA for consistent policy. Opposition leaders requested the senator to increase his oppression and influence over Russia to make its government to implement the responsibilities assumed before the international community.

At the meeting, they spoke about the ongoing processes and economical situation in Georgia. Giorgi Targamadze said that most part of population face hard social problems and unemployment; thus financial support of the US is very important for the country as well as its efficient usage aiming employment of the population.

Leader of the Alliance for Georgia Davit Usupashvili said that he paid particular attention to the serious challenges in the democratic development of Georgia during their meeting with Senator John McCain.

“We informed McCain that without democratic processes Georgia cannot cope with foreign threats. We told him that support of the USA is very important for Georgia; but there are tools which can make this support more efficient,” said Usupashvili.

According to Usupashvili, opposition leaders told McCain that unless one-party governance is finished in the country, not a single international aid will be able to protect Georgia from foreign challenges.

“The purpose of our meeting with McCain was the fact that he is one of those several people in the world whom Mikheil Saakashvili listens to,” said Levan Gachechiladze from ”Save Georgia” after the meeting.

Gachechiladze stated that he informed McCain about the hard situation in the country.”In order to attract Ossetian and Abkhaz people to live in Georgia, we should not have the situation in the country similar to our north neighbor. We should have more freedom though it is impossible under current government.”

American Senators John McCain, John Barrasso and John Toon arrived in Batumi at 10:33 pm on January 10. They met opposition leaders within the visit. John McCain will also meet the president of Georgia and other governmental officials. Then he will travel to Zugdidi where he will meet representative of the EU Monitoring Mission Hansjorg Haber. McCain will leave Georgia on January 11.

Prepared based on Interpressnews