Zurabishvili said she was nervous when people in Georgia spoke "the language of the enemy"

10/30/2023, 2:19:38 PM

Highlights: Zurabishvili: "It's very unnerving when there are people in your country who speak the language of the enemy" He said that if he had executive power, he would ban Russians from entering the country. He also criticized the decision not to impose tough anti-Russian sanctions on Russia. "The executive power to control Georgia's borders is directly in the hands of the Prime Minister," he said. "I don't have the power to ban Russia from entering Georgia," he added.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said that she was nervous when the Russian language was spoken in the republic, "the language of the enemy." According to the politician, if she had executive power, now owned by the government, she would ban Russians from entering the country.

The Georgian president spoke about this in English in an interview with the American channel CBS in the program "60 Minutes".

"It's very unnerving when there are people in your country who speak the language of the enemy. And when they think they are home', Zurabishvili said.

The host of the program, Sharyn Alphonsi, asked the Georgian president why the authorities did not simply declare: "No more Russians."

"This is a question for the authorities... I don't have executive power, unfortunately. The executive power to control Georgia's borders is directly in the hands of its Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili," Zurabishvili said.

She also criticized the Georgian prime minister, accusing him of resuming flights between Georgia and Russia, as well as the fact that the authorities refuse to impose tough anti-Russian sanctions.

In May, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili recalled that open borders with Russia are important for the republic, including for economic reasons.