Georgia on Kyiv’s Saakashvili appointment

TBILISI – Ukraine’s Ambassador to Georgia Vasyl Tsybenko has been summoned to the Georgian Foreign Affairs Ministry for explanations regarding the appointment of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili as the head of the Ukrainian president’s Advisory Council. Georgian Foreign Ministry spokesman Davit Kereselidze told reporters on February 16 that Ukraine is “Georgia’s strategic partner” and Mr. Tsybenko’s “invitation” to the ministry should not be interpreted as a problem in relations. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced on February 13 the establishment of the International Advisory Council on Reforms and appointed Mr. Saakashvili to lead it. Mr. Saakashvili left Georgia after his presidency ended in November 2013. Officials in Georgia have charged him in absentia with abuse of office and with organizing an attack on a lawmaker. Tbilisi has urged Ukrainian authorities to extradite the former Georgian president. In a statement on February 17, the Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office said Georgia’s former Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili, who is also currently in Ukraine, should also be extradited to Georgia along with Mr. Saakashvili. (RFE/RL Georgian Service)