PM Bidzina Ivanishvili met chairman of the Constitutional Court, Giorgi Papuashvili, in Batumi on June 14.

He also met eight other judges of the Constitutional Court and told them that his visit was made “to show respect” to this institution. 

“I have reiterated my deep respect to the judiciary in general and in particular to the Constitutional Court. I have assured [the Court] that we will not, we cannot dare and no one from our team will dare to try to politically influence the Constitutional Court and the judiciary in general,” the PM told journalists after the meeting.

“It should be welcomed that the Constitutional Court is distinguished and it managed to remain cleaner and beyond those question marks, which existed in the society in address of the judiciary in general; so this is something that can be welcomed and for which we can express our gratitude to batoni [a Georgian polite form of addressing a man] Giorgi [Papuashvili]. Actually there are no question marks regarding the Constitutional Court and one can hear nothing but positive about [the Constitutional Court],” Ivanishvili said and added that during the meeting he told judges of the Constitutional Court that their salaries should be increased.

The Chairman of the Constitutional Court welcomed PM’s assurance that the government would support “our institutional strengthening and independence.”

Constitutional Court, which is based in Black Sea resort town of Batumi, re-elected as its chairman Giorgi Papuashvili for second five-year term in September, 2011.