Georgian PM: Saakashvili won't cause deterioration in relations with Ukraine

TBILISI. Oct 4 (Interfax) – Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who was detained in Tbilisi on Friday, will not cause exacerbation in Georgian-Ukrainian relations, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said.

"Today we have very good, fraternal relations with Ukraine. Saakashvili, especially in prison, will not cause deterioration in our interstate relations," Garibashvili said on the Imedi television on Sunday.

"Saakashvili, who realized his deplorable state in the Georgian prison, today recalled his Ukrainian citizenship and demands his return to Ukraine," he said.

"It is a pity that this man was our president for nine years. If he wants to return to Ukraine, he can do it six years after serving his prison sentence by the verdict of the Georgian court," Garibashvili said.

He did not disclose the details of Saakashvili’s crossing of the Georgian border, but noted that law enforcement agencies lured him, convincing him of the complete collapse of the work of the Georgian security services.

"Saakashvili planned to gather up to 10,000 of his supporters in Tbilisi on October 3 to protest against the local elections allegedly rigged by the authorities and at that time suddenly appear in the crowd. After the police had to detain him, according to one of the theories, it was supposed to murder several opposition leaders in order to blame the current authorities for this, with all the ensuing consequences for Georgia," Garibashvili said.

He believes that a major provocation was averted by the arrest of Saakashvili.

"This sick man believed, and we also convinced him that the situation in Georgia is out of control and he could carry out his plan," Garibashvili said.

He promised that very soon Georgian law enforcement agencies will tell all the details of how Saakashvili arrived in Georgia.