Georgia needs more in Ukraine than Vice versa, so in the case that relations between the countries get corrupted, the Georgian people are facing famine. This opinion was expressed on Sunday the ex-President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili on air of TV channel Mtavari Arxi, commenting on the reaction of the authorities on his appointment as the head of the Executive Committee of reforms of Ukraine.
"We must not forget that, based on the size, Georgia needs more in Ukraine than Vice versa. A large part of what we buy in stores in Georgia, for example, corn, buckwheat, meat products, sausage, milk, are imported from Ukraine", – said Saakashvili. "Ukraine is a very important market for our products. To cast a shadow on relations with Ukraine will be a disaster tomorrow, people in Georgia will die of hunger" he said.
The President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky 7 may appointed former President of Georgia and former Governor of the Odessa region, Saakashvili Chairman of the Executive Committee of reforms. Originally the President was going to offer him the post of Deputy Prime Minister for reforms, but the Parliament did not have a sufficient number of votes in support of it, the question was removed from the agenda. In response to the appointment of Tbilisi recalled its Ambassador to Kiev, Teimuraz Sharashenidze for consultation.
Saakashvili led Georgia from January 2004 to November 2013 and left the country a few days prior to the expiration of the presidential term. Immediately after that, against him at home was initiated four criminal cases, two of which already delivered verdicts. In particular, the court sentenced Saakashvili to three years in prison for the murder of an employee of the United Bank of Georgia Sandro Girgvliani to six years in prison on the case concerning the beating of MP Valery Gelashvili.
In 2015 holding then a post of the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has invited Saakashvili to Ukraine. He was granted citizenship and was appointed Governor of the Odessa region. In July 2017, Poroshenko deprived Saakashvili of citizenship emerged between them after the conflict. At that time he was outside Ukraine. In September 2017, Saakashvili was able to return to the country and tried in court to obtain the status of a citizen who needs protection, but in February 2018, he was arrested and expelled to Poland. Zelensky in may 2019 returned Saakashvili Ukrainian citizenship. At the end of the same month he again came to Ukraine.
