Georgia recalled its ambassador from Kiev for consultations over the appointment of Mikhail Saakashvili as head of the executive committee for reform of Ukraine. This was announced on Friday, May 8, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, David Zalkaliani.
“This is an accepted practice in diplomatic relations, which indicates the emergence of certain problems in bilateral relations, therefore, consultation with the ambassador is necessary to determine future steps”, – Zalkaliani quoted Interfax as saying.
The Minister noted that there was no talk of breaking diplomatic relations or revising the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Latelt the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky appointed Saakashvili as the head of the executive reform committee. The head of state said that he believes in the assistance of the Georgian politician in the implementation of important changes in the country.
However, on April 22, Saakashvili stated that Zelensky had invited him to take the post of deputy prime minister for reform. A few days later he accepted the proposal, however, the media indicated that the appointment of a Georgian politician would be contrary to Ukrainian laws, since Saakashvili has outstanding convictions in Georgia and one criminal case is pending.
As a result, the Ukrainian government withdrew from the Verkhovna Rada a submission on the appointment of Saakashvili to the post of deputy prime minister for reform.
Saakashvili, who became the third president of Georgia in 2008, left his homeland in 2013 after the expiration of his powers. In 2015, at that time, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko granted citizenship policy and appointed him governor of the Odessa region. A year later, Saakashvili was fired and deprived of Ukrainian citizenship.
In September 2017, Saakashvili illegally entered Ukraine from Poland, but in February 2018 he was detained and deported. Zelensky in the first month of his presidency returned the citizenship of Ukraine to the Georgian polititian.