TBILISI, December 4. /TASS/. The Georgian authorities are in control of the situation in the country, and the opposition’s attempt at regime change has failed, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said.
"After the failed 'Maidan-type' attempt, you can see that certain forces, violent groups, have resorted to harming the interests of our country, including the activities of businesses and so on. But, of course, these attempts are doomed to fail. This is the last task these people are performing. Everything is under control. The regime change attempt has failed, and the interests of the country will be fully protected," Kobakhidze told a news conference.
The prime minister expressed regret that politicians and diplomats in the European Union and the United States have not condemned the violent protests.
"It is to be hoped that we will see such condemnation at least in the future," Kobakhidze remarked. He added that tacit consent by certain individuals had been perceived as a "green light to violence."
The current wave of protests began in Georgia on November 28. Demonstrations in front of the parliament building in the center of Tbilisi start in the evening and continue until the morning, when riot control police disperse the crowd. The unrest began after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the ruling party, Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia, had decided against including negotiations on accession to the European Union on its agenda and refused to accept all budget grants from the EU until the end of 2028. He explained that constant blackmailing by the EU over the accession dialogue, demands for the cancellation of a number of laws adopted by parliament, and calls for sanctions on the Georgian authorities were the reason.