Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has sent a seven-page response to a critical letter of the European People's Party (EPP), which 23 MEPs signed on Thursday.

Recall that twenty-three members of the European Parliament appealed to Ivanishvili in an open letter on March 6, urging him not to destroy the European dream of Georgia.

The MEPs called on Ivanishvili to stop putting pressure on the court, public broadcaster, members of self-government and the parliamentary minority, adding that if the actions undertaken within last period violate democratic standards resulting in a decrease of the level of democracy in Georgia, Ivanishvili will be the one responsible for failure of the European perspective of the country.

In his response letter, PM Ivanishvili called on the EPP to send to Georgia long-term observers to see developments on the ground before voicing allegations against him about closing European doors for Georgia.

Ivanishvili wrote that the new government does not intend to play "facade democracy" and is going to build a normal country.

In the letter on his Facebook page Ivanishvili questions the political forces who supported and seem to continue to support the previous government's "facade democracy built upon violence, humiliation, abuse of power, poverty, and hopelessness" and who now harshly criticize a new Georgian Government that has taken the path of actually building a democratic state as opposed to renovating this facade."

According to Ivanishvili, the European values ​​- individual liberty, respect for the dignity of others, participation in governance, government accountability, transparency, rule of law, human rights, the protection of minority interests - all of them are the reasons of the Georgian people's aspiration to the West.

"Do you think that it is a democracy when a president can dismiss government without holding consultation with parliament? ...If your answer is [no], then I ask you how can you consider such person as a member of your political family?" the letter reads, georgiatoday.ge website reported.

Ivanishvili said that he respects EPP "as one of the largest, influential, and successful political forces in Europe" and called to pay attention to the facts that may not have been known by many.

Meanwhile, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is on visit to Brussels. At the personal invitation of EPP President, Wilfried Martens, Saakashvili is participating in the summit of this political union, Georgian Presidential Administration said.

"The main topic of the summit is the European values and aspirations that unite the European leaders," the administration said.

Saakashvili is attending the summit against a background of a critical letter sent by Ivanishvili to the EPP.

The event is attended by European political leaders, heads of states and representatives of international organizations, including, senior officials of Spain, Germany, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Armenia and other countries.