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President Poroshenko says Saakashvili cannot engage in politics in Ukraine

Poroshenko recalled that Saakashvili violated Ukrainian laws and was also previously convicted in Georgia

Pyotr Poroshenko AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov

Pyotr Poroshenko

© AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov

KIEV, February 12. /TASS/. Mikhail Saakashvili is not eligible to engage in politics in Ukraine as he is not the country’s citizen, Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko said in an interview with Austria’s Profil magazine.

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"According to the law, he must be a Ukrainian citizen to engage in politics here," the president said in response to a question about Saakashvili’s possible expulsion. "He has violated Ukrainian laws and was also convicted in Georgia," he added.

However, in Poroshenko’s words, the situation surrounding Saakashvili had nothing to do with the president. "He may be expelled from the country though I would not like it to happen. But it is for the migration and border services to decide, I don’t want to influence them," Poroshenko added.

The Ukrainian president’s interview had been published several hours before Saakashvili was detained in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and expelled from the country.

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Ukraine crisis Ukraine Pyotr Poroshenko Mikhail Saakashvili

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