President Giorgi Margvelashvili said that “change of Georgia’s European course is actually impossible”, but in order to see whether the government is implementing this course “efficiently”, he asked the cabinet to convene a session with his participation to discuss the issue.

President Margvelashvili has also asked the Parliament to convene a session where he would make a “special address” to the Parliament and the nation.

“We, the Georgian politicians, are happy to serve the nation, which is very firm in its choice of values. This choice is the European choice made not by us or any particular political force, but by our ancestors. Serving this choice is a huge honor,” President Margvelashvili said in his late night live televised address on Wednesday after he returned from Vienna, where he participated in the second UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries.

Allegations that Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic foreign policy course is under threat have been voiced by ex-defense minister Irakli Alasania and his allies, claiming that the recent “politically motivated” arrests of MoD and general staff officials was aimed at targeting Alasania and represented an attack on “Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic choice.” The case eventually led to sacking of Alasania from defense minister’s post and then his Free Democrats party quit the ruling Georgian Dream coalition.

“Change of Georgia’s European course is actually impossible. But at the same time it is absolutely possible to raise a question about how efficiently each politician serves to the will of our nation and this question should be answered adequately," President Margvelashvili said.

“Because our service should be efficient, I appeal to the Georgian government and the Parliament within the authority granted to me by the constitution to discuss at the next session of government efficient implementation of Georgia’s Association Agreement with the EU and of substantive package with NATO. I will attend these discussions together with the secretary of National Security Council,” the President said.

“I also ask the Georgian Parliament to consider in the agenda of nearest parliamentary session address by the President’s special address to the Parliament and the nation,” Margvelashvili said.